@Picklypickles
My 9yr old daughter is extremely untidy, her room often looks like some of the kids rooms in this article and it really doesn't take long for it to end up that way. She likes to play make-believe and this apparently requires her to empty her dressing-up box, clothes out of her drawers and wardrobe, blankets, books and toys and to spread these things around the house. She will then use every excuse in the book not to tidy up after herself, its a constant battle between us, she even flumped down to the kitchen, grabbed a knife and threatened to kill herself once when I told her she needed to tidy her room. At the start of lockdown I spent 6hrs one day cleaning out her room, scrubbing crayon off the walls, fishing out books and clothes from under the bed, I had to empty out her toy boxes because as well as toys they were also full of dirty socks, snotty tissues, crisp packets and glitter. She had taken the wax from Babybels and smooshed it into the carpet and furniture. Then towards the end of lockdown I had to spend another 3hrs tidying her room because she'd wrecked it again. I've tried everything to get her to keep her room tidy, I can't stand mess. She's desperate to get pocket money, I've been saying for 2yrs now that I'm happy to give her pocket money if she keeps her room tidy, she hasn't been given a penny yet. She is just an absolute whirlwind of chaos and destruction.
I know how you feel
@Picklypickles my now adult sons shared a room and the pair of them would have their room like a shit hole. It was clothes and toys, they were not allowed food upstairs.
In a day the bedroom would be a bomb site. Me and DP would spend hours cleaning, hoovering, scrubbing and throwing toys away. They had plenty of storage. But by the next day it was like we had never touched it. There would be constant battles about the room and cleaning, getting shut in their room for a day to clean and it was still a mess 10 hours later.
When they were 15 or so i just got sick of the constant battles and arguments and i just shut the door. for my mental health i had to. It was the same merry go round argument for years and i couldnt bear it.
The rest of the house is spotless, no rubbish or clutter. My other son had a single room and his room was always tidy.
Funnily enough when they got girlfriends and wanted to bring them round the room was spotless, or son 2 would tidy up but only his half and throw anything that was sons3's onto his bed. There was a line down the room of stuff and non stuff.
My sons have all moved out now and keep their houses clean, i have a desire to go in and empty the draws and wardrobes to see how they like it!
My DD is 8 and straying into the same territory. Drawing on the walls, stuff everywhere, gets something out doesnt put it away, etc, constant battles etc. I now tidy it daily, she should do it but i have not got the energy for it.