To all the parents of teenagers out there; we feel your pain! However, getting your teenager to clean their room doesn’t have to be a constant battle, and with the help of the following tips, you can soon be on the way to achieving a non-hazardous bedroom for your teen that is relatively tidy (emphasis on relatively!):
Set a good example
It’s always a good idea to try and lead by example when asking your kids (especially teenagers) to keep their personal spaces clean and tidy. Keep your own bedroom and wherever possible, all other areas of your home clean and tidy, as kids often follow what they see, not what is said.
Don’t turn it into a boresome chore
Have reasonable expectations of your teenager by asking them to clean and tidy their room when they have the time, and allow them certain freedoms so that it’s not a totally horrendous chore that they will despise. They could play music and take a snack break if it’s a particularly big job! Help them out a bit by bringing them the vacuum cleaner, leaving the laundry bin outside for their dirty clothes (and there are bound to be some!), and giving them a container of garbage bag to place unwanted items in. Make them understand what standard you expect of them, and thank them when they’ve finished it satisfactorily.
Give them an element of control
The house is yours, that much is true, but teenagers deserve to have some space to call their own, and when you tell them that apart from keeping their bedroom reasonably clean and tidy, they can do whatever else they want with it (within reason, of course!), you’re giving them an element of control and they will probably respect you for that. It may also give them a little more incentive to keep it clean and tidy, provided they can hang their own pictures on the wall and choose their own bedlinen and decor, etc.
Respect their right to privacy
Teenagers also deserve to have a little privacy, even though they’re living under your roof, so try not to get on top of them too often about their room, and trust that they’ll keep it in reasonable order. If you really want to guarantee that they’ll maintain a certain standard, you can try threatening to go in and clean it while they’re at school, that ought to do the trick!
While it’s great if your teenager cooperates and takes care of their bedroom, not every teenager will do so, and sometimes, it can be easier to call in the professionals once a month (or more often if necessary) and have them deep clean it while your teenager is at the movies or at a friends place for a few hours.
Usually, a threat of coming in whilst they are at school and doing the job yourself will give them the kick they need to get started! Pop in occasionally to ensure they are staying on task but other than that, have a little faith
