Want some tips on keeping your young children's room clean? As a mother of four boys, I have developed some tricks.
Keeping the boys room clean and tidy is a daily challenge for us. We pick toys up off the floor daily. We dust the room, dustmop the floors, and wash sheets weekly. Then about once a month we do a thorough cleaning. It is not such an overwhelming task when you practice a few little ideas, which I will share with you.
As much as possible, I try to work with them, and encourage them to work with me. Anyone with little boys knows, you can get more done without them than with them helping, so I try to find a workable compromise. I'm not satisfied with the job we can do together, so I have them work with me for a little while, and then finish the job by myself so that I can be satisfied in a job well done.
First we take the sheets and pillow cases off the beds and start them washing. Then we set a timer for cleaning. We work fast to beat the clock! Boys love a challenge. I also try to make it fun and light-hearted. Some upbeat music helps. We especially like silly ones, such as Beethoven's Wig.
We start out by making sure all the toys are in their proper places. "A place for everything, and everything in it's place." This is a good time to review where every item belongs to help with the daily pickup. Another thing to quickly do at this time, is to make sure they really do play with and still want the toys they have. I try to encourage them to pass on outgrown toys, but I don't push it. As we are working, I make a mental note of toys that haven't been played with much lately. Later, I will box them up and put them either in the top of the closet or the attic. I rotate the toys they keep in their room about every 6 months.
Also, remember when working with young children, this is the time to work quickly, not thoroughly. A key thought to keep in mind is that they have very short attention spans. Too much time spent on any one thing, and they will wander off, or be pulling toys off the shelf. My boys like it when I set a timer for about 15 minutes. We started off with 5 minutes and have worked up to 15 minutes. Knowing there is an end in site helps keep them on target. Knowing there is a treat at the end helps, too.
After we sort toys and have everything put where it belongs, we dust. Actually, I dust, and they play with feather dusters. They each have their own feather duster. I do try to instruct them on where and how to dust, but, if they dust the floor and the windows and the beds, that's okay. As long as we are working together, I'm not too particular. I use this time to thoroughly dust under and behind everything with my little swiffer. They love to crawl under the beds and dust there! I dust the cobwebs out of the corners, dust the baseboards, dust the light fixture and the ceiling fan. If they follow me and dust what I dust, that's great, they are learning by imitation and one day they will be able to do this alone!
When the timer goes off, we put away all the dusting supplies and then they get a small treat, such as a popsicle or a small candy treat. I move the sheets to the dryer, then I let them watch an educational video while I finish the job alone.
I clean fast and thorough, doing as much as I can in the amount of time the video gives me. I will vacuum the entire room thoroughly, moving furniture and getting under everything. Then I will box up those toys I made a mental note to move out of the room, and maybe bring something new back in it's place. I label all boxes with the contents and date put up. When something old is brought back into the room and they don't play with it, I will usually quietly move it into the attic in a box marked "purgatory". It will stay in purgatory until someone prays it out, AKA asks for it specifically; or for a length of time that I feel like I can either ask them to part with it, or I quietly take it off to Goodwill. Most children will not easily part with anything, so I try to use common sense and good judgement in these areas, especially when they are small. I have in the past been accused of taking a beloved toy to goodwill, so I try not to be too rash. As they get older, it's easier to teach them, especially if they have seen this by example in their parents and older siblings.
If time permits, I wash the windows or use the extra time to clean out a dresser drawer or an area of the closet. When their video is over, I am finished. If there is more I would have liked to accomplish, I try to work out a time later that day or week to finish it.
We take the clean sheets to the bedroom and they play with the new item I've brought out while I make the beds.
We take a moment after the beds are made to admire the room and comment on how nice and clean it looks and smells. Growing up enjoying a clean and orderly room will encourage them to be good husbands someday! My future daughters-in-law can thank me later.
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