Do you clean and tidy your teenagers rooms?

[Kenworthington]

Maybe I’m an excuse for a lazy spatters but I leave the kids to do their own rooms. They are 13 and 15. I’ve just been in now and they are HORRIFIC. Food left on plates. Rubbish just thrown on the floor, the washing I’ve done for them just thrown on the floor amongst the dirty stuff. I’m so sick of it the lazy bastards. I’ve text them to say how awful it is and they have to do it when they get home. But I’m so fed up with it. They usually do it maybe on a fri for the weekend then really quickly it descends into something from a horror film. I have told them time and time again to just put stuff away as they do stuff and it won’t be a massive job and I won’t have to lose my shit but they never learn. HOw is it even possible for it to get so foul in a matter of days? Wtf is the matter with them fgs. I will withhold their phones until it’s sorted. But it’s an ongoing weekly problem. I’m so sick of it. It’s dirty and unhygienic. And it’s so untidy that even if I wanted to I can’t get in there to actually clean it. I don’t go out to work so technically I could do it. But i clean the rest of the house and I didn’t make the mess so I think they should do it. I’m right aren’t I? Just having a moan really.

Just to add - I ban food upstairs, only water is allowed, reduces the rotten food problem

I find that now I just close the door so I don't have to see it. Now and again it will be a case of the WiFi going off until their rooms are cleaned and cups and plates and most of the contents of the kitchen are returned.

@DevonshireCreamTea wtf?!

I do very occasionally when they are away, probably three or four times a year. Just to give it a super deep clean. One of them is very tidy anyway, one is like Mr trebus

@saganorenscarandcoat I’m glad someone else has had the same thought!

DevonshireCreamTea I'm a stay at home mum too and refuse to clean their rooms. What's going to happen when they have full time jobs and a house of their own, they will have to clean it then won't they so the sooner they learn they don't have an unpaid maid doing it all for them the better they will get on in life

It's half and half here. Both DDs have a busy school year and have part time jobs too so I don't mind keeping on top of things for them.

They usually bring their plates and glasses down, but I will bring them down if I see them. The empty their bins each week but only because I give them a bag and tell them to do it.

Both make their beds (not to my standard tho) and open their windows each day. Dirty clothes always go in the laundry basket.

I go in their rooms several times a day and point at things I want either bringing downstairs or put in certain places. They eye roll at me as every evening I expect their rooms immaculate

The way I see it .. these are rooms in MY house and I certainly won't just close the door on them and let them just fester in there. I also love cleaning (I know) so I'm always in dusting and hoovering. I find it therapeutic

But no- id never ever let it build up

I insist that the DC tidy their rooms before the cleaner comes so all she has to do is her job.

Also no food in their rooms, they have to hang up clean laundry and all dirty laundry has to sorted into the laundry bins or it doesn't get washed.

It's the only way i can keep their rooms as tidy as the rest of the house!

They are old enough to wash and iron their own clothes. I think it is incredible how quickly and neatly they get put away then.

Yep, I clean the whole house every week including the kids bedrooms (12 & 14) They're always quite tidy anyway, nothing like the OP's kids disgusting bedrooms! 😮

My 3 are all different - same upbringing.

My youngest cleans her room herself and is very organised and neat.
The eldest is ok - would leave clean clothes on the floor but puts his laundry in the basket etc.
middle one is bad - would leave food, cups, dirty clothes on the floor. She cleans it up once a week because we have cleaners and their rooms (and bathroom) have to be decent or I'll tell the cleaners not to to go near them. She is off at university now and apparently keeps her room spotless!

Unlike most of MN, I don't have a problem with doing things for my kids. My mum did most things for me and as soon as I left home I was cooking, shopping, cleaning for myself because I had to! Didn't do me any harm at all. My kids have set jobs they do but that's it, they'll be fine when they're older.

my friend has an18 year old whose room is like something from hoarders - clothes piled shoulder high in places and they think there is an infestation of ants from food left there. I would have buckled before now and cleared it myself. They are planning on giving her until next week to clean it out and if she doesn't boxing up everything on the floor and giving it away, then calling the exterminator. I've offered to clear it with her.

@MrsJBaptiste yes that sounds like me.

And I'd never ever just ignore an ant infestation in my home

No teenager at home now but, no, never did.

I take a bin bag up and pick up the rubbish.

Clothes only washed when in the basket (grubby PE kit on a Monday anyone?)

Same for bedding but have to be reminded

Ironed clothes are put away if I'm going up - but I make a point of not doing so!!

We have a Koala box to limit wifi and it can extend wifi for an impressive job - worth the £70

Rooms have to be relatively tidy so the cleaner can hoover / dust. If the room isn’t tidy, she can’t clean. By tidy I mean floor clear really... I’m not fussed about clothing piles being put on top of the bed or hidden in a wardrobe.

Bed sheets changed by teenagers at my behest. I’ll help them make the bed up to get it done though.

It’s their room and their mess, but part of living together respectfully as a family is not being dirty skanks. They can do that in their own home later if they wish to.

No plates or mugs to be left in their rooms. I don’t really like eating in their rooms TBH but seems a bit draconian and not worth fighting over.

I banned them from taking food and drinks into the room. That put an instant stop to the stockpile of plates.
No, I didn't clean their rooms. It's something they have to learn how to do, same with cooking, laundry, budgeting, shopping etc.

Absolutely not.

Hmm. I have 2DS.

Both are responsible for keeping thier rooms tidy but we also all work as a team. For example DC1 will take the rubbish out of my room when he is doing the bins so I will hoover his room while I'm hovering the rest of the house. If other (younger) DC is doing his washing he will stick mine on too and occationaly I will go into his room and blitz it for him because it's a nice surprise for him and I know it feels nice to relax in a nice clean and tidy room.

It's give and take in this house. I'm a single mum workìng full time. The kids also cook meals for all at least twice a week too.

Works for us.

I'm working on this with ds. The thing that drives me batshit is the laundry basket. Saying 'if it's not in there it doesn't get washed' doesn't really work because he'll just pick up dirty stuff from the floor and put it on.

Even more crazy-making is that he just seems to see the laundry basket as a multi-purpose receptacle. So he'll take a clean item out of the drawer, decide it's not what he wants to wear, and rather than fold it up and put it back he'll stick it straight in the laundry basket. Clean. Drives me mental.

As I said, we're working on it. The line is that it has to be tidy enough for me to hoover when I'm doing the landing, but I don't insist on immaculate. I monitor the laundry basket because of the behaviour above....

I hear you OP. From various RL conversations I gather it's normal but it drives me mad. Luckily DCs rooms on top floor so I never go up there if I can help it. Intrepid cleaner hoovers up there once a week. Have never allowed food upstairs so they (mostly) toe the line on that but otherwise knee deep in crap. I really get the rage when clean laundry comes back down to be washed.