Our home has changed! We have changed five minutes at a time. This is the greatest parenting discovery since 'Head to Toe Baby Wash.'
I got so frustrated with harping on my kids to clean their room. I nagged and bugged and usually ended up going in and doing the cleaning myself. My kids are all tidy children who enjoy an organized living environment, the problem was that by simply telling them to go clean their room they were extremely over-whelmed. They didn't have a clue about where to begin, they were also depressed about the prospect of spending a large chunk of time on the chore.
The Solution: Every morning and every evening I set a digital kitchen timer for 5 minutes. I tell the kids they have 5 minutes to clean their room. I loudly announce "On your marks, get set... GO!" and start the timer. They rush into their rooms and clean until they hear the timer go off. It is a small amount of time, over before they have a chance to get bored. I tell them that they must find something to clean. If their room is already tidy then they can straighten books on the shelves, clean out their sock drawer or organize their toys.
We have been setting the timer now for over a month. Their room looks fantastic ALL THE TIME! I am never worried when they ask if their friends can come in to play. When I go in, to clean their room, once a week, I need to do little more than dust and a quick vacuum. They have also not complained about cleaning time, ever! Can you believe that? Not one complaint in over a month! I love this system!
I also think that cleaning for 5 minutes, twice a day is establishing a great routine and habit for the rest of their lives.
If you are frustrated by kid clutter, try 5 minute cleaning intervals. It might take a few days to get the room as clean as you'd like, but it will happen. And best of all, it will stay clean!
