HELP...how do you get yopur kids to tidy their bedrooms?

[HondaDream]

I am now nearly pyscotic...2hours and they are all bickering and the stuff is still on the floor. I was tempted to put it in a big bin bag but DH said use reverse psycology so I am here and they are waitin gfor lunch...My kids are good but this is one thign that never goes well. Any tips or just anyone who can reassure me that thier kids rooms are as bad as my kids would be nice and really I shoudn't bother. They are 5 6 and 7 BTW

I don't feed them til it's tidy.

I had the same problem with DD (7 yo). I think the main thing is that she gets totally overwhelmed by the thought of tackling the whole room at once, so we try breaking it down into little pieces e.g. tidy up all your barbie things, put your drawing things back in the right box, then put books back on the shelves, etc, etc. Giving her specific tasks seems to work better for us than simply 'tidy your room'.

my Husband is always moaning at the kids (9y DD)
(7y DS) to tidy their rooms .. I tell him that his idea of tidy is different from theirs!!.. he tells DS to hang his clothes up... when son can't even reach the rail to do it..
I prefer to potter about in their rooms and help them and like LouBeeLou say's.... give them specific tasks to do..
I must admit, I am not particularly tidy myself so hubby notices mess before I do...
Ohh and I often give them a wet-wipe to dust their rooms with as well.