how to make kids tidy

[frenchemma]

my house is a tip and getting out of hand, everywhere i look there is stuff and none of it is mine! what do i do to make them put stuff away, they walk over things stand on books etc and don't seem to care, where did i go wrong, i can't stand it much longer, i want to throw everything out on to a large bonfire!

[Anna8888]

If you want children to learn how to be tidy, you must first be tidy yourself and organise their rooms and possessions so that everything is very easy to put away.

[compo]

how old?
tell them if they stand on any more books they will be getting no more from the library (works with mine)
they must tidy up before bedtime, no story before bed uness the room is tidy
make sure you have drawers, storage boxes, toy boxes etc that they can tidy things away into

[GrimmaTheNome]

Telling DD she couldn't host her first sleepover till she'd tidied was quite miraculous!

[frenchemma]

i am a bit obsessive compulsive about being tidy but they dont seem to learn from my example. they all have rooms for putting stuff, shelves drawers etc, but most of the time they leave it on the floor, their ages range from 14 to 3!

[Cappuccino]

we tidy up at the end of the day usually

I help

we put music on and it takes 5 mins to fling everything away

you need to work out proper storage tho - no-one can put things away if there isn't a system, not even adults, so certainly not kids

[Othersideofthechannel]

If you are tidy with your stuff they will eventually get it.
My mum was v organised with things like elastic bands always in the same place, neatly labelled but there were always stacks of half read books and newpapers lying around.
My house is the same!

[frenchemma]

the youngest is best and i think you may be right about helping as i do help her but by the time it gets to 8 in the evening i am usually to tired to help sort out a teenagers laundry all over the floor, she just picks it all up and flings it in the wash basket, whether it is dirty or not.

[Anna8888]

OSOTC - LOL

My house is nothing like my mother's - she is tidy but, crucially, not logical...

[frenchemma]

hmm, not sure if i can use that in my struggle

[LittleBella]

Agree with Anna your kids will only be tidy if you wil.

One day I will be tidy.

However, being tidy is still no guarantee of them being tidy. So even if you are obsessive about it, they will still throw socks on the floor.

I don't know any child in real life who follows the system.

[Janni]

Anna is right.

Reduce the stuff. Everything needs a place.