Fun Ways for Teens to Clean Their Rooms
Few words are as likely to elicit groans and cries of protest from teens as "clean your room." Few teenagers look forward to folding clothes, wiping down shelves, vacuuming floors and making their beds, but parents love a clean, organized bedroom. Try to make the process more fun with a few games, treats and other fun forms of motivation that will have teenagers reaching for the feather duster. Does this Spark an idea?
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Make It an Event
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Spending a boring afternoon alone in a messy room is no way to get teens motivated about cleaning, so encourage them to invite a buddy or two over to help out. Most friends won't mind lending a hand by vacuuming or dusting. Sweeten the invitation by promising a few special treats, like lemonade and brownies, while they clean--or take everyone for pizza afterward.
Think Charitably
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Many teenagers are concerned about the world around them and the needs of those struggling with issues like poverty. Encourage teens to develop their social conscience by having them gather unwanted items as they clean their room and then clean, sort and organize them for donation to a good cause. Encourage teens to team up with their friends, having everyone come together to sort through items they no longer need so they can make a more sizable donation as a group.
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Redecorate
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Combine cleaning with redecorating to make both activities more fun. If a teenage son or daughter has been asking about redecorating his or her room, make getting it spic and span a part of the deal, requiring a full cleaning before applying a new coat of paint, moving around the furniture or adding a new bedspread and curtains. Plan ahead of time to get teens motivated, looking at decoration schemes online and visiting a local home renovation store for inspiration and items like paint and shelving.
Hide Some Treats
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Anything can hide in a messy room and it's easy to lose everything from socks to homework when a bedroom is in a state of disarray, but creative parents can take advantage of the situation. Before assigning a teen to clean his room, hide some fun treats for him to discover while he dusts, vacuums, organizes and gets things sorted. Trying hiding a bag of candy under a pile of clothes or a gift certificate behind messy sheets. Girls might enjoy a few makeup items tucked here and there while boys will get a kick out of looking for car magazines or a new T-shirt.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit bedroom image by ann triling from Fotolia.com
