8 Tips for Parents Who Have Kids With Messy Rooms

Few things are more annoying for parents than a child’s messy room, which is why it is important to develop a strategy to deal with this parental nuisance.

These 8 tips will equip any parent with the tool set necessary when helping a child learn the value of keeping a room clean.

1. Set the Right Tone

In business, there is a well-known leadership approach that is termed “toning from the top”. At its core, this philosophy suggests that business executives and leaders need to set the right examples that will inevitable result in employees following said examples. Parenting (and keeping rooms clean) ought to be no different. How would you feel if someone told you to clean your room, but you knew that theirs was a heaping mess? Don’t give your child a reason to view you as a hypocrite. This is a general principle that extends beyond room cleaning, but it certainly applies to a child being obedient and cleaning their room as well.

2. Optimize Living Space with Closet Organization Systems

In an ideal home setting, saving space is key to avoiding messy rooms, and closet organization systems are one of the most effective ways for children to manage their living space. With a quality closet organization system, it becomes easier than ever for children to keep their room organized since the closet does much of the work for them. When shoes, clothing, underwear and more all have their proper place, it is easier than ever for a child to maintain a room’s cleanliness.

3. Give Your Child Extra Closet Space

Allow your children to have the space necessary to store all of their belongings. One of the best ways to provide extra space is by opting for spacious walk-in closet designs that are innovate, affordable and maximize space. Be sure to include your child in the design process if you want to ensure that your child has an added sense of ownership over the room. Children have a funny way of taking better care of things that they feel are their own, so be sure to tap into that psychological advantage to deliver some room cleaning results!

4. Treat the Room Like an Elephant

While this advice might sound like it’s blowing up the issue, the opposite is true. There is an old saying that says an elephant is eaten “one bite at a time”, and a messy room should be treated no differently. Have your child clean the room in areas, quadrants or any other room division that makes sense. By treating room cleaning as a series of small goals, the challenge becomes more manageable. One of the best ways to manage a room is when it actually can be divided into separate areas easily, which is best done by optimizing space. As such, optimizing storage space, closet space and bedroom space will make it easier than ever to clean up the messes in each area of the room.

5. Store Vertically

Another way to avoid room clutter is to go vertical. Similar to the strategy of avoiding urban sprawl in a large city, make use of the vertical space in a room that goes unused too often. Whether that involves stacking storage bins or embracing custom furniture or storage solutions, don’t forget to take advantage of the vertical space that a child’s room offers.

6. Consider a Space Saving Bed

Traditional bed are often bulky and take up too much room space, particularly when dealing with a child’s room. A hidden bed can be one of the best ways to maximize space and goes a long way towards keeping a room clean as well. Hidden beds are essentially dual purpose furniture pieces that can shift from a desk to a bed and back again. Not only does this help keep a room clean, but it also serves as a child’s sleeping space and homework space at the same time.

7. If All Else Fails, Bring in the Experts

If managing all of a child’s belongings seems too difficult for both you and your child, it’s time to bring in the experts. By seeking out expert consultations for custom storage and furniture solutions, you will be amazed at the space saving solutions they will design for your child’s room. Just don’t be surprised when you love the results and start planning for a custom overhaul of your own bedroom.

8. Once the Room Is Clean, Stop the Next Mess in Its Tracks

Finally, once the room is clean, let your children know that they need to keep it clean. While a room is bound to get messy again eventually (such is the nature of children, after all), it is important to remind children that cleaning is not a fun chore, but they can stop a messy room in its tracks. By making active efforts to clean their room, they can avoid the headaches caused by massive cleanups.