To want kids to tidy up?

[BringBiscuits]

Their rooms occasionally? 11 and 8. 11yo is worse with everything just dumped on the floor including new uniform. Books, games, I pad... the lot just left everywhere. She can never find anything! There are clothes everywhere (ironed stuff dumped on top of dirty stuff that never made it to the laundry basket)
Do you tidy your kids rooms or at some stage do you either accept it’s a mess and always will be?

Last time I found the iPad on the floor, it "vanished" for a month. I've never seen it on the floor since.

At 8 years old I think you still have to supervise and direct what you want done. I.e. do t say take your clothes to your room, but say put the t-shirts on the t-shirt drawer. Come back for the rest. Then put your trousers in the trousers drawer etc.

You really have to go through their rooms with them and make sure they have the space and that everything has a space to go to. I find it easier to give them one job at a time when tidying e.g. pick up all the books. When that is done, pick up the playmobil. When that is done, pick up the dominoes etc rather than asking them to "tidy up".

DD has to tidy things away every day and clean her room herself (apart from sweeping and mopping as she doesn't do it properly) once a week. She's 9, nearly 10. She puts clean clothes in draws and the wardrobe too and is getting better at not just stuffing them in!

It’s got to a point where it’s difficult to know where to start. I’m thinking they probably have too much stuff? There’s loads of storage it just doesn’t get used. They should be able to hang clothes on hangers / fold clothes at this age?

Of course they should. I think you need to set aside a day to have a big clear out and clean and get rid of all the stuff they don't need and find a place for everything they do have. Then it's just keeping on top of it. A quick tidy up every evening before bed and check. There's no excuse for dirty clothes in piles and clean clothes dumped with them. If they continue to do this then there has to be consequences.

My DD isn't naturally tidy and would live happily like a slob if I let her. She's getting much better at putting things away and tidying up, but it has been a battle at times. If she gets toys/books/games out, she has to tidy away the thing she's playing with before she gets something else out. A year ago she would literally have ten different things out and then there'd be a big stop about tidying them away. Much better to keep on top of things than having yo tidy up a load of stuff.

*strop

It’s got to a point where it’s difficult to know where to start.

If that's how you feel how on earth can you expect them to be able to manage?

I have a 9 year old, he can fold trousers but not t-shirts.
7 year old the same.

I took two afternoons in the holidays with them. First I was in one room, second day in the other room. We went through everything. Found it a place. Cleared out some toys. Boxed some up to rotate.

I think you have to do a big clean and declutter then start again. I think it can be quite hard for dc to tidy up a big mess. Much better to get them to tidy at the end of each day.

Thanks for the advice. I think we need to have a clear out and start again. It does help to know what is reasonable to expect turn to do themselves.