During the school term, your kids come home exhausted and you can hardly bear to get on their case about their messy room. With the March holidays drawing near, it’s the perfect time to instil some organisational sense into your kids – and have some fun along the way.
Utilise storage options
Unlike in the past, kids nowadays have an abundance of toys, clothes and books, so much so that keeping them all organised can be overwhelming. Storage with multiple sections such as locker-style cabinets is a clever option. They provide more spaces to put like items together, and the even, grid-like design automatically lends a sense of order.
Since most kids tend to throw and pile things rather than take the effort to be neat, it might be a better idea to use deep drawers for their belongings instead of open shelves. This way, things will still be organised overall, even if they’re messy in their own sections.
Manage the mess
Now that you have suitable storage, create ways to encourage your children to use it. For example, you can store things such that it’s easier to put things away than to get them out. A standard bookshelf makes it too easy for them to pull books out by their spine. Try having books stacked in boxes instead. With boxes and containers, you’re also able to control the number of toys out at any one time by teaching your kid the rule of one box out, one box in.
Books, and even toys can be stacked in boxes for easy storage.
Make playtime out of clean-up time
What works best for young kids is fun and games. Thankfully, it’s not hard to get them to associate clean-up time with play. Get them to pick up toys of matching colours, or make it a competition by setting an egg timer for five minutes, and see who can put away the most toys within that time. Be prepared for sweaty and laughing kids at the end of those five minutes!
If you label your storage boxes, add pictures to labels as well. Not only do the colours liven up the room, it’s helpful especially if your kid hasn’t grasped reading yet.
Create ownership of their room
While you might be tempted to take the lead, young kids actually love to have responsibilities. It makes them feel like an adult and builds their confidence in their ability to make decisions. By encouraging them to play an active role in keeping their room organised, you’re helping them build character and self-esteem.
You can also involve them in decision-making for other parts of their room. When choosing the colour scheme or picking out suitable furniture, rope them in. When they feel invested in their bedroom, they’ll naturally want to keep it clean and neat!
Instil the habit
Now that you’ve shared quality time with your kids and showed them how easy it is to keep their rooms organised, ensure that they keep it up even after school starts. By making it a part of their everyday routine, for example daily before dinnertime, your kids will get used to the idea of cleaning up and won’t see it as extra work they’re being ordered to do. It definitely doesn’t hurt to shower them with words of affirmation or hugs and kisses as well!
Get your kids involved in organising their bedroom.
It’s possible to teach your kids the virtue of an organised bedroom without any yelling, tears or punishment. We hope these tips help you in getting your kids’ bedrooms finally in order!
Article and images contributed by RenoNation.
