How to Keep A Kid's Room Organized

Cleaning your child's room can be exhausting. Just follow the five simple steps in this article and free yourself from the constant task of cleaning your kid's room.

The first thing you want to do with any room that you are trying to organize is to purchase storage containers, cabinets, drawers, or other items that you can use to store the mess. In a child's playroom, these storage containers must be low-to-the-ground and have round (or soft) edges to insure safety.

Buy enough containers to fit all of your child's toys and also have extra room to sort the items so they are easy to find later and fun for your kids to clean up. Once you have your storage units, you will want to arrange them in the room so that they are generally on one side of the room. Do not try to place them all over the room; this could be confusing for younger children and other kids that come over to play.

After you have your storage containers set up, you will need a way for your child to differentiate between the different containers. Sorting their toys by type is not only a great way to stay organized, but also to teach your child sorting skills and the like.

Label your storage containers or drawers with stickers that have words or pictures of the items that belong in each drawer or container. For example, you may have a box dedicated to blocks. Put a simple image of a block on the front of the box so your child knows that the blocks belong in that container.

Playing with them before showing them how to clean up is a great way to train them on the process. If you attempt to show them when the room is clean or after another activity, they are less likely to remember the series of events.

After you have everything labeled, it is important to show your child how to use these new methods of organization. Play with them and then show them that when you are done, you pick up the items you were playing with and put them in the containers.

As you go through the motions, make sure that you not only tell them, but show them. Ask your child to try it and get excited when they do it correctly. When they are incorrect, show them why, but do not scold them; (this may discourage them from doing this activity in the future).

Children generally respond positively to a methodical system in which they are rewarded for doing things they are supposed to.

You can create a clean up chart that promises an ice cream or new toy each time they fill the charts with star stickers. When they clean up the room, give them another sticker and be sure to communicate this praise.

If you find a way to reward your child whenever they clean up, they will begin to do it on their own.

With young children, you may want to try an immediate reward like a popsicle right after they clean up in order to show them that you appreciate it.

Make sure to follow through with your rewards, praises, labels and instructions to assure that your child understands the system and wants to clean on their own. When they grow a little older, use the reward system only when they don't need to be reminded and increase the excitement of the reward.

Once you have followed these simple steps, you will be well on your way to having a clean and organized playroom for your kids.