Kids and Clean Rooms (teaching, toy, play, children)
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Elementary school, middle school, high school ... What expectations do you have for your child's room? Do these expectations change as the child gets older?
Bed made or not?
Piles on the floor are okay or no?
No food in the room?
Clothes on the floor?
And please add your rationale ("I don't allow / do allow such-and-such because of this..."). I also am trying to get a wide variety of answers and don't necessarily think any of them are wrong.
(Although if you allowed so much yuck in the room that there might be critters in there, that's pretty bad!)
Please give whatever opinions/experience you have. Thanks.
Once they were in high school:
No food or drinks.
If there are no odors and I can shut the door, live how you like.
But, I reserve the right to not help you look for things that are likely at the bottom of a pile somewhere.
Since they did their own laundry by that time, clothes on the floor are their issue (this was only ever an issue for my brother, the girls all treated their clothes well).
The only time I have made mine "clean" their rooms was before house guests, and before we buy new clothes in the spring in fall.
Oh, ABSOLUTELY NO WEARING THE WETSUITS INTO THE SHOWER (I know this is about their room but we had a real problem with sand clogging not just the drain but causing other issues).
Before high school: Toys had to be put away before bed, clothes in the hamper.
DH and I are on our 2nd family- two kids in each set separated by 19 years. The first set i was all rules and regulations and everything tidy. the second set I couldn't care less. i realized there are more important things in life to worry about than a bed being made.
When all the kids were little I emphasized putting toys away, hanging up their clothes, making beds, etc but as I got older it just wasn't important anymore.
My girls decided to share a bedroom even tho there is plenty of room for separate bedrooms. They also share clothes and toys and games. At nine they still don't have any issues of "mine vs yours" except for a special stuffed animal and shoes. I find that remarkable and it surely does make everything easier on all of us. One is neat and makes up her bed while the other one doesn't.
No food in bedrooms and only adults can have food in family room---hey nobody said everybody is equal.
I have to vacuum about every other day because of pets but otherwise house cleaning is a big family affair and we all know what we have to do. They are too short to transfer wet laundry from washer into the dryer but they are responsible for setting the timer and taking care of clean laundry. They load and unload dish washer, wipe down counters, sweep floors , dust and even clean toilets. They will be ready to live on their own when the time comes.
[quote=Alltheusernamesaretaken;22599104]Elementary school, middle school, high school ... What expectations do you have for your child's room? Do these expectations change as the child gets older?
Bed made or not? Yes, though if it's not right away that's ok. Piles on the floor are okay or no? Both of my dd's love to pile things on their beds so we have to straighten those things up sometimes. One of my daughters is a real 'nester' and wants to be surrounded by her things which all fall off the bed when she sleeps so I have to remind her not to be a hoarder. No food in the room? Food is allowed as long as dishes are brought out when finished, and no food is put in the bedroom trashcans. (They are neat eaters, no droppings or spills). Clothes on the floor? Absolutely no clothes or towels. Even shoes are put on shelves. We get scorpions!
I think our experience has been that kids respond to the environment they are in. Ours is clean and neat, but not extreme. One thing I am strict about is no clothes or things should be left lying around the rest of the house. Jackets/coats are hung up, etc. But the same goes for us as well. We do not leave our clothes or other things in the family room.
Last edited by LVKim8; 01-18-2012 at 10:20 PM..
Reason: added house rules.
[quote=Alltheusernamesaretaken;22599104]Elementary school, middle school, high school ... What expectations do you have for your child's room? Do these expectations change as the child gets older?
Bed made or not? Was never a stickler for a made bed. Piles on the floor are okay or no? Piles on floor not ok, must be clear so the maid could vacuum. No food in the room? Food in room ok, but dishes had to be back in the kitchen and washed or put in dishwasher before bed. Clothes on the floor? No clothes on floor--we had big tall clothes hampers.
Expectations the same for all ages, just expecting more from the child to do it himself every year. If not instilled young, including taking care of pets, learning to do their own laundry, keeping their room straight and cooking for themselves, by high school it is too late in my opinion. Parenting, in my opinion, is to help prepare the child for a self-supporting life.
Have a 5 and 3 year old. Sometimes they love to help me clean their room or their mother. Sometimes its like pulling teeth to get them to pick up a single toy. So the toy gets thrown in trash or donated...you do that once it usually fixes their not wanting to listen to me or my wife. We buy the stuff we can take it away....We had a problem with the kids jumping on the beds and breaking them etc...we paid 110$ for new beds etc...after a few butt whippings no more jumping on the bed and they seem to understand they are to take care of the bed. They are NOT allowed to have food or drink other than a sippy cup for the 3 year old to go to bed with in their room...
For those that say no food or drinks, why no drinks over night?
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my opinion
