Suddenly, September school holidays are only days away. If you’re holidaying at home this time around, the more relaxed routine is a great time to tackle some hot spots – especially if you’re starting to feel tempted to just close the door on the kids’ rooms!
We’d all love our kids to be totally responsible for keeping their rooms in order, but parent encouragement and intervention is still essential at any age. And while we don’t want to curb creativity and imagination, we all know it doesn’t take long before Lego creations are on permanent display, craft drawers are bulging and that sweet collection of rocks and autumn leaves is totally out of control.
It’s important to keep in mind there are ages and stages with kids’ bedrooms. Overnight, you might discover there are collections of ‘little things’ everywhere and containers holding treasures like one Barbie shoe. Stray Nerf bullets and Pokémon cards seem to multiply under the bed. There’s prized artwork hanging on the walls that really ought to go into storage and books that are no longer read. And if you have a teenager, those piles of dirty clothes just seem to get higher! You need to adapt your approach as the kids grow.
Below are five tips to get you started.
Teach respect
An important early lesson for all children is learning to respect their possessions. If your children understand why it’s important to care for their toys, they are more likely to understand the importance of packing them away neatly and safely.
Roll up your sleeves together and have a regular cleanse
Put on some fun music and go for it – but be realistic. Don’t ask for a time investment of longer than 15-20 minutes from the kids, or you’ll be disappointed! It is school holiday time, after all.
Find the right storage
There are so many storage options for kids these days it’s almost overwhelming, but you don’t have to spend a fortune. Under bed storage containers with lids are fantastic, as are attractive baskets you can pop in a corner or on a bookcase shelf. You might even like to get the kids involved in creating colourful labels for their storage boxes.
Create a pack up routine for every day
As you’d know I’m a big fan of the rule that everything has a place – and this is a great way to ensure your kids learn good habits from a young age. It’s never too early to learn the importance of clutter clearing!
Put toys on rotation
This is not only a great way to make sure toys are used regularly but also an excuse for a regular cleanse. You’ll soon work out which toys have been outgrown.
Images courtesy of My Mini Abode – www.myminiabode.com.au
Do you have your own tips for clutter clearing with the kids? Leave a comment below.