6 Tips To Get Your Teen To Clean Their Room

A teenager should be keeping their own room tidy. They are old enough and as a parent, you have many more responsibilities than they do – keeping their room clean shouldn't be one of them.

It's time to get tough. While it may feel easier to just do it yourself, ensuring your teen keeps their room clean teaches many important life lessons to prepare them for adulthood.

If the sight of your teen's mess is keeping you awake at night, there are some easy tips you can try to turn the tide.

6 Ways To Get Teenagers to Clean Their Room

1. Lead the way

Leading by example goes a long way when you're undertaking this process. Kids are responsive to what we do more so than what we say and it's important to show in your own behaviour the importance of keeping things clean.

And let's be honest, you're going to not want to give your teen any argument ammunition about your own cleanliness if your request is met with resistance.

2. Respect their privacy

Your teen's bedroom is their first domain of their own and with the ups and downs of impending adulthood, a teenager must see their bedroom as a safe haven.

It's worth noting that while it is their space, it is still your home. Have a discussion about respect and that while it is expected they keep it tidy, they can have control over other elements such as their bedding, posters and paint.

One sneaky tip is to make the most of their desire for privacy - threatening to clean their room while they're not home may be all the motivation they need to get the job done themselves.

3. Start them off and keep it simple

If there is a lot of mess, it may just be that your teen doesn't know where to begin. Schedule in a couple of hours and create a plan, welcoming their input.

Get them started by doing things like pulling all items out from under the bed, placing a laundry basket in the middle of the room and assisting with the decluttering process. This can include getting rid of things that aren't used or don't fit anymore.

Make sure there are cleaning products handy, as well as rubbish bags and a vacuum cleaner.

Once things look in hand, leave the room. Put some music on of their choice and if there is a big job ahead, pop in with snacks. This can also be a handy excuse to check in on how things are going.

4. Reasons, benefits and consequences

These are a few simple points that can help you get your point across.

Reasons

• Keeping items off the floor can prevent accidents

• Having food or dirty dishes in the room attracts insects and can create bad smells

• Dirty clothes and wet towels can cause mould and mildew can develop and cause a health hazard

Benefits

• Your room will feel bigger

• A clean room equals fewer germs and less chance of illness

• You won't feel uncomfortable or embarrassed having friends over

• You'll be able to find what you're looking for

Consequences

• Say you'll assign the job of cleaning their room to a sibling and pay them for it out of the teenager's allowance.

• Threaten to head into their room and clean it yourself.

• Failing inspections may mean confiscating mobile phones or missing weekend activities.

   

5. Regular maintenance

Pick an agreed-upon day or two of the week when you'll check the room – work this in with your child's after school activities. It isn't realistic to expect the room to be spotless on a Wednesday morning for example if you know they have football training immediately after school on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Avoid the temptation to nag as well. Continual reminders are only going to frustrate a teenager. Tell them once, make it clear and let the consequences happen if it isn't followed through.

6. Let it go

Assuming your teenager isn't doing anything illegal or there isn't decaying food and bacteria hiding under the bed, it may be worth relinquishing control a little and accepting the mess.

Some parents simply close the door and let the teen learn from their own mistakes. Making the wrong choice is all part of growing up, after all!