One of the most tiring errands that a parent has to do is cleaning after your children. And, let’s admit it, rarely any child’s bedroom looks like those from the magazines. Even if your child doesn’t have more toys and clothes than it is necessary for such a small being, it only takes a minute for their room to transform from a perfectly arranged space to a place that looks as if a bomb went off in it. Be that as it may, we cannot just surrender and do nothing about it. Luckily, we have some tips and tricks on how to declutter your child’s bedroom and keep it tidy as long as it’s humanly possible.
Clean with them, not around them
Cleaning and decluttering are tasks that have to be done regularly, every couple of months or so. Since every task is more interesting when more people participate, you should try and include your little ones in this activity too. Here are just some of the reasons:
- From an early age, children should be taught their responsibilities. Remember, disciplining your child should start as soon as they can sit independently. Cleaning after themselves is one of the tasks that even a three-year-old can do. You might be surprised, but they actually like taking part in such activities as cleaning and tidying up. It makes them feel more grown-up and more mature.
- When they see how much time and energy it is necessary to declutter their room, they will think twice before making a total mess again. Ok, this one is not applicable to the young ones, but it might work with your older children.
- When the entire family works together, they can rest together too. Let your children know that if mommy or daddy is going to spend hours cleaning and decluttering their room all alone, they can forget about some of the activities they like doing with you. There just won’t be enough time to take them to the park that day, and you won’t be able to organize a playdate with their best friend because you have to declutter your child’s bedroom, and that takes time.
Letting go of the unnecessary stuff is the first step you should take to declutter your child’s bedroom
Children are not the only ones to blame for having their rooms full of clutter. Sometimes, not even us adults can resist the urge to get them some items that they do not need at all, but we find adorable. In almost every child’s bedroom, you can easily find a cute piece of clothing that has never been worn or an educational toy that a child never paid attention to. We even make mistakes by buying a piece of furniture that we consider practical, but it proves not to be. The question is – what to do with the stuff that your child doesn’t need or use? There are several options.
Throw away everything that is broken, damaged or used-up
Any broken toy or an item missing some parts can be dangerous for your child. Whether we are talking about choking, cutting or any other type of hazard, it should be avoided at any cost. So, make no compromise when it comes to getting rid of such toys.
When it comes to furniture that your child does not need anymore, it is always good to donate to some other family that needs such pieces. However, it often happens that children’s furniture is not in good condition after being used by too many kids. The only thing left to do then is to throw it away. In that case, you should prepare the budget for junk removal in advance. The good news is that you will not have to worry about old furniture disposal and you can be sure that the professionals you hire for that purpose will do their job in an environmentally friendly way. Of course, once you call them to take away your old furniture, you can also dispose of those broken toys and worn-out clothes.
Donate some useful stuff to people who might need it
Kids outgrow their clothes quickly and they lose interest in some of their toys even faster. Once that happens, you should think about the kids of your friends, neighbors, relatives, and colleagues who might use such stuff. Of course, that is unless you are planning on bringing a new baby home any time soon.
There is also an option of donating to the less fortunate ones. Sometimes we forget how blessed we are and our children should be aware of that too. Teach them that not every child can get the toys they wish for and try to promote the joy of giving. Your child’s old toys can make some other kid very happy, and that is something that should be a good motive for a giveaway. Ask around for some charities or you can even leave the toys and clothes at a local church. They will know which families would appreciate these gifts.
You can make donating a nice family tradition once or twice a year, for instance. Declutter your child’s bedroom before the winter holidays to make room for the presents your child will probably get. If you donate, you will make more children happy than just your own. Isn’t that great? You can do the same sometime around Easter and during summer.
Make a yard sale after decluttering
Organizing a yard sale can be a great motive to declutter your child’s bedroom. Preschoolers and older children will be excited to earn some pocket money selling their old toys and clothes. Summer is the perfect time for this activity. Once your child helps you tidy up their room, you can invite their friends over and announce a yard sale. Trust us, your kids will be ecstatic! By the way, such events are great for buying children or baby clothes on a budget.
Declutter your child’s bedroom easily by better organizing it
When every toy or, at least, every category of toys has their place in a child’s bedroom, tidying up is much easier. Let your kid decide where their toys “live”. That will motivate them to bring every toy back home after the playtime.
Caption: Let your kids tell you where their toys should live
Alt. tag: A toy kitchen to illustrate that you will declutter your child’s bedroom easily if everything has its place
If you find it difficult to designate a place for each toy, there are many organizing solutions that can help you. For example, shelves are perfect for storing books and board games. Big bags made of fabric can be home to your kids’ soft toys, cars or dolls. Get some plastic bins or boxes to keep smaller toys and blocks of all sizes. Don’t forget to label each box with a picture so that even a toddler can know where to put a toy after playing with it.
Try to make this activity as interesting as possible
If you cannot declutter your child’s bedroom within a day, do it in phases. The attention span of any child is too short to keep them interested in one activity for an entire day. If you really want your offspring to participate, be realistic about it. Make a plan to tidy up category by category, or section by section. Try to make cleaning as fun as possible and your child will enjoy spending this time with you and doing something useful.
