How to Motivate a Child to Keep a Room Clean

by Jenna Gray

Overview

Motivating a child to keep a clean room can be a challenging task for parents. Children are not always willing to pick up after themselves after they are finished playing. This may be due to the fact that some children may not know how to keep their room clean, or they may feel overwhelmed by the task. Parents can help their children take an interest in keeping a clean room by offering support, guidance and patience.

Step 1

Set a good example. Children like to imitate their parents. Your child is more likely to want to keep his room clean if you do the same with yours.
Step 2

Be clear about your expectations. Let your child know exactly what she needs to do to make her room clean. Just telling her to clean her room is not enough. Be specific---let her know if she needs to organize her closet, make her bed, throw away clutter or vacuum. This will help avoid confusion and frustration. Children naturally want to please their parents---they just need to know what their parents want.
Step 3

Keep the job simple to make room cleaning easier for the child. Create an easy-to-use system for your child to keep his room organized. This may include a shelf for books, a toy box and a separate bin for stuffed animals. Your child will have an easier time keeping his room clean, because he will know what goes where.
Step 4

Turn room cleaning into an enjoyable family activity. Have a cleaning party. Help your child clean his room, and include his siblings in the activity. Play some music or sing some songs while cleaning the room. This will help get the job done quicker, and the child will be more likely to see this as a pleasant activity rather than a punishment or chore.

3
Offer your child a reward for maintaining a clean room. Keep your child's age in mind. A 5-year-old won't have the same cleaning skills as a 10-year-old.
Offer your child a reward for maintaining a clean room.
Keep your child's age in mind. A 5-year-old won't have the same cleaning skills as a 10-year-old.
Avoid criticizing your child's cleaning abilities. This can cause your child to lose interest in keeping a clean room.
Avoid criticizing your child's cleaning abilities. This can cause your child to lose interest in keeping a clean room.