How to Keep a Tidy Home with Kids

Having both children and a tidy home are not mutually exclusive. While it is not always easy to teach your children to be neat and orderly, it is possible, provided you give them the tools they need to succeed. With patience, repeated instruction, guidance and some basic organizational skills, you can replace nagging time with quality time and enjoy your family in your neat and tidy home.

Baskets
Crates
Boxes
Labels
Shelving units
Timer

Instructions

- 1
  Provide baskets, crates, boxes or drawers for children to store their possessions. Label these clearly with words or pictures, so even young children can tell what should be kept where. Dresser drawers can be labeled with pictures or written names of the type of clothing to be stored inside.
- 2
  
  Shelves make it easy to be tidy.
  
  Place a shelving unit in each child's room, the playroom, the living room and any other area of the house used for playtime. Have baskets or other organizers available for keeping toys and belongings stowed away and not underfoot. Make sure shelves are low enough for young children to reach easily.
- 3
  Explain to your children that they are responsible for their belongings and that you all are working together to keep the family home tidy. Remind them that it is easier to find belongings if they are put away in the right place, and that cleaning up after themselves shows they are growing up.
- 4
  Establish a daily time for clean-up and use a timer to enforce it. Once a day, or whenever works best for you, set the timer for 10 to 15 minutes. During that time, everyone picks up his belongings and returns them to the box, basket, drawer or shelf that is designated for that item.
- 5
  
  Every child should have daily chores.
  
  Assign daily, age-appropriate chores to each child. Even a toddler can do something as simple as putting her toothbrush back in its holder. If you have several children, rotate their chores each week, so that nobody is stuck with a hated chore for too long.
- 6
  Demonstrate the proper method for doing each chore, cleaning assignment or household duty. Be prepared to demonstrate proper methods more than once and to assist young children until they have their chores mastered.
- 7
  Forbid your children to start a new activity without putting away what they were doing before. For example, if they were playing a game, it must be picked up and returned to its proper place before another game can be played. Craft activities must be cleaned up before another activity can be started.
- 8
  
  Reward your children's efforts with enjoyable family time.
  
  Reward conscientious efforts with praise, thanks and perhaps a special treat, such as family time, extra computer time, an allowance bonus or whatever reward suits your family's values and lifestyle.

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