Getting Your Preschoolers To Clean Their Rooms
The key piece of information is to make the chores "kid-friendly." That is, don't set your child up for failure by setting your expectations too high. If you have realistic demands and arrange the room so that your children knows what goes where, you can expect more than 50% of the work to get done.
Helpful Hints for Setting Realistic Expectations
1. Beds. Don't ask your child to flatten sheets, make hospital corners, and fluff up pillows. Instead, set each bed up with a comforter or even put a sleeping bag on it.
2. Laundry. Put a hamper in the corner of the room or in the closet. Or use a man's old shirt fixed on a hanger. Button and sew a seam at the bottom and use the neck of the shirt to put dirty clothes in. When it's full, carry the hanger to the wash.
3. Toys. Have several shelves in your child's room. This allows children to only take out what they want instead of a toy box that they must empty to reach the bottom. If you want toys in specific places, tape pictures to the shelf.
4. Puzzles & Games. Mark all of the pieces that go together by marking the back with the same color. If the boxes are torn, use empty wet wipes boxes to store the pieces (uses less space, too).
5. Books. Use the shelves for books too. You can use covered boxes as separators so that you can divide them by themes, magazines, or age groups.
6. Cars/Figures. Store these toys in a clean plastic milk gallon that has a hole cut in it on the opposite side of the handle. Preschoolers will be able to carry this around.
7. Blocks. Use an old skirt with belt loops to store blocks. Stitch together the bottom and use fabric paints to decorate. Use the belt loops to tie together and hang the bag (skirt).
Source:
Seven ways to get your preschoolers to clean their rooms. (1996, September). Indy's Child, p. 38.
