Messy kids, help!!

Curvycarol_2 · 8 July 2005 at 7:01AM

Hi. I have 2 teens who are pretty good but drive me nuts with mess in their bedrooms. Anybody got any tips about making them tidy up? End of tether here! Thanks all!
Carol xx

swizzle_2 · 8 July 2005 at 7:52AM

What about money? I know that it`s hard to pay them to clean up thier own mess, but no doubt you give them money anyway?- even though their bedrooms etc are a mess.

My children are only young but from talking to others, and watching teen angles etc, money works.

The other option could be youv`e got until x to tidy your rooms, or I will then go in and bin everything on the floor. The thought of you going trough their stuff might be what it takes to get them to clean up.
Or what about if you clean your rooms we will have a takeaway? so you don`t atcually give them money but a treat.

Good luck.

foreverskint · 8 July 2005 at 8:06AM

Try to arrange a time when they need to tidy up, that go do it now attitude does't work with kids of any age. Explain the benefits of a tidy room, ie, you'll be able to get the hoover in there once in a while.:rolleyes: A firend of mine just got her daughter to tidy the floor and under the bed, and then promptly filled the Dyson with all the fluff and dust:eek: Do they have enough storage?
maybe offer them a new item for their rooms once they've been tidied to a suitable standard?

Do they have to help with the rest of the housework in general? When my kids stay at ours they have to help all around the house as we live in such a tiny house we'd dissapear under a pile of tut if we didn't all help each other. At their Dad's house they have a huge space to occupy and the mess is appaling, but I've even persuaded them that they have to help there as well, much to there dad's annoyance as he's been co,plaining that they won't do anything.

Smiley_Mum · 8 July 2005 at 8:13AM

My two are only small, 4 and 5 but I find that when I'm industrious around the house, they tend to follow suit and tidy up too. I give them a set amount of pocket money per week which gets paid on a Friday. Whenever I have to nag them to do as they are told, tidy up, change their clothes or dressed etc etc I deduct 5p from their money. It's kind of like chinese water torture, the small amounts slowly trickling out of their bank, they don't like so they do move their buns and get on with what they are told to do.

Also, if it comes down to you having to tidy up with them, you just say that everytime you need to do so, you will put away (sell on Ebay) some of their belongings etc. They need to learn to respect their belongings and take care of them.

You could also give them an allowance each month which would cover all their outgoings, more or less and they then have to learn to budget etc for their things. They will then, hopefully, respect their belongings more rather than leave them scattered to the four winds.

Good Luck.

Gingham_Ribbon · 8 July 2005 at 9:01AM

I know this sounds daft, but do they know HOW to do it? I was always being told to tidy my room but didn't really know what to do. Being organised didn't come easy. I'd pull everything out of drawers and cupboards and pile it on the bed. Then, not sure what to put where, end up leaving stuff on the floor, or piling it in drawers that spilled over when I opened them.

Having a short routine to follow might help them get started. I think it would have helped me. And if I remember right, tidiness in its own right wasn't much of an incentive to me as a teen. But treats/pocket money were!

skylight · 8 July 2005 at 9:10AM

Dont bother

You wont win!!!!

Penny-Pincher!! · 8 July 2005 at 9:52AM

Hi There

My dd (10) has always been quite messy but Ive always tidied up after her :mad: In the past 2 years my health has deteriated so I asked if she would help me by keeping her bedroom tidy :rolleyes: For this she would be paid £X pocket money, which she was happy to do. We recently drew up a 20 min Blitz plan together and so far she has managed to do it fine and brags she can do it in 10 minutes :rotfl:

We dont have alot of money so her pocket money is probably not alot in some peoples eyes, but she saves for things she wants and we add to her funds etc when we can. She has recently saved for a tortoise which we happily and other family members contributed too. She wants to be a zoo-ologist :eek: She is a great kid. At age 10 she can iron (under supervision), loads/unloads dishwasher, seperate dirty clothes into colours and put WM on, hoover, polish, sweep, mop, basic cooking.....most times for a small fee :rolleyes: but wouldnt have it any other way. I think that we should teach our children life skills/common sense as they are just as important or more important than academic skills.

This is the daily 20 min blitz we drafted together:

Make bed, open window, clear window & wipe, floor cleared, put all your papers/pens/books away, dirty clothes in wash room-make sure they are dirty first! Sweep floor. Bring cups down.Keep wardrobe/drawers tidy & doors closed. Wipe down drawers/desk etc with duster. Hang towels up after use. Strip bedding on a friday.

Good Luck

Penny-Pincher!!
XXX

Bendybops19 · 8 July 2005 at 11:07AM

Wow Penny-Pincher!!
U have obviously taught ur daughter well!I am so impressed!!!!!
I wish my mum had got me doing all those things from an early age, i would be much better now!!!!
Blimey i cant believe how much she can do, she will be great at keeping her own house tidy and clean one day.

zodiac · 8 July 2005 at 11:46AM

When you say teens are we talking 15 and below or 16 and above?
I couldn't keep my room tidy when I was younger but now the dust is afrade to settle anywhere. I would say give them time as it could just be a stage which they can grow out of.

At age 10 she can iron (under supervision), loads/unloads dishwasher, seperate dirty clothes into colours and put WM on, hoover, polish, sweep, mop, basic cooking.....

Now thats just showing off....

chugalug · 8 July 2005 at 12:02PM

To be honest, once they get to being a teenager you have to accept that their rooms are their own spaces. The only things I insist on are 1) all washing to go in the wash bin not on the floor or under the bed. If they don't do this it doesn't get washed. You have to be strict and accept smelly kids for a bit until they get the hang of this. 2) they have to hoover their own rooms once a week. If they haven't done this by Sunday morning I wake them up at 7am to do it. They soon realise if they do the hoovering early in the weekend they get a lie in, if not they don't. Early training is required - before they get to the lazy stage.

Curvycarol_2 · 8 July 2005 at 1:41PM

Thanks people! Theyre boy/girl 15 and 13, I've done everything but nothing works so far. I'm a single mother and don't have much money to give, I'm just hoping they move out soon! Plus side means I do secretary work locally for a charity so I don't have to see them that much!!
Carol xx

Messy kids, help!!

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