There's nothing that can give you a headache more than a
that looks as if it has been tossed by a hurricane. Clutter here and there, messes everywhere, in every single day of your life. It's enough to drive you mad.
Teaching your kid to organize his bedroom, and all the things in it such as his school things, kid furniture, and his toys will surely help you in keeping your sanity.
So how do you get your kid to cooperate? First off, it's been taught in psychology classes that positive reinforcement or the reward system works better in instilling discipline in kids than punishment.
So for every time, you see his bedroom in spick and span state, give him a word or two of approval or a nice hug while you talk to him about the importance of being clean and organized—it will benefit his health, make it easier for him to find his toys and it will keep mom and dad happy.
Occasionally, you can also give him a free ice cream or candy for a job well done. However, just make sure that you do not spoil him with the rewards because you wouldn't want him cleaning up his room for the wrong reason—just so he could get a treat.
Also, be a shining example to your kid. You wouldn't expect him to dust off his kid furniture or put away his toys if your own room is in disarray. Show him how you put away your bed and how doing so eliminates the possibility of bed bugs that he surely doesn't want to be sleeping with. Demonstrate how you organize your personal things in the cabinet as he would do with his toys.
Lower your expectations. Don't expect a little kid like yours to be able to line up all the furniture kid in his room like his Guidecraft Daisy Pastel Clothes Hanger and KidKraft Adirondack Bench perfectly perpendicular to each other. Not only doesn't he have the strength to accomplish a feat like carrying his kid furniture around, he also is not aware of the rudiments of interior decoration. So if you see that his bed is not tucked the perfect way, don't be too critical on him. After all, it is the effort that counts. If you're being too obsessive compulsive you can correct it when he's not looking or when he's busy playing fire fighter in his Guidecraft Firehouse Bookshelf .
Lastly, let him be himself when he organizes his room. Do not make him arrange his kid furniture the exact way you like it in your room. This is his space, and dictating him how to arrange his room may limit or inhibit his creativity. Be there to supervise, to give him a hand or to suggest ideas but let him make his choices so he would realize that you're treating him as a responsible and mature person.
As long as the room arrangement is not hazardous or completely done in bad taste, leave it to him if he wants a safari themed room or a room furnished with fire fighter inspired kid furniture . It is important for him to see that his bedroom is his responsibility, a space he should keep clean and well-maintained.
