How to Get Your Kids to Clean Their Room Daily

Tired of constantly nagging your kids to clean up their rooms? This is something that almost all parents go through. There are certain things you can do that may persuade your children to clean their rooms daily until it becomes second nature, but you'll have to hang in there---habits generally take 20 to 40 days to become routine.

Things You'll Need

• Cash
• Poster board
• Stickers
• CD player or radio

Instructions

1. Set up a daily pay schedule. If your children get a weekly allowance, break this allowance up so your kids can earn their money daily if their rooms are kept clean. For example, if they normally get $7 per week, they would get $1 for each day that their rooms are clean. If waiting a week is too long for your children, consider paying them daily after they clean their rooms.

2. Make a sticker chart. Kids respond well to charts. This method may not work on teenagers, but it will likely work on children younger than 10. Make a spot for each day of the week. When a child finishes cleaning his room, he puts a sticker on that day on the chart. When a child gets a week full of stickers, he gets a prize. The prizes don't have to be expensive; you can get them at the dollar store. Just the idea of getting an unknown surprise is often enough motivation for kids to clean their rooms.

3. Use music. For small children, play Barney's clean-up song. For older children, let them play their favorite music really loud while they are cleaning their rooms. Music can be very motivating, and this way children will associate something fun with cleaning.

4. Withhold extras. This method works on older children. Do not allow your child to do anything else until her room is clean. If she wants to go to a dance at school or to the movies with friends, she will know that she can't unless her room is clean. If you want to make cleaning a daily habit, withhold television and the Internet from your kids until their rooms are clean.

5. Give your child a lesson on hygiene. Show him how germs can spread when things are not kept clean. This will give him an understanding as to why we need to keep our rooms clean each day.

Tips & Warnings

• Ask your children for some ideas. You never know what they can come up with.

• Don't yell at children to get them to clean their rooms. This is not motivating and never works.