clean your room!!
By chastity7
@chastity7 (104)
United States
April 17, 2009 2:45pm CST
How do I get my 7 yr. old and 3 1/2 yr. old daughters to clean their room? My 7 yr. old will usually do it if I ask her 1.000 times to do it, but then my younger daughter just sits there and watches and won't help. I've tried to stand over them and make her help, but she just picks up a few things and leaves the room. I've tried a chore/ rewards chart, even allowance, but that only lasts a day or two. Any one else facing this dilemna? It's not really fair for my older daughter to have to pick up all the slack, so how do I get my younger one to pitch in more?
1 person likes this
3 responses
@MysticTomatoes (1053)
• United States
17 Apr 09
My parents used to warn us once and once alone. After that, my mother went in to our rooms with a trash bag and everything that was still out got thrown away or locked up and we had to earn it back by doing house work. After having some of our stuff tossed into the trash, we learned.
@chastity7 (104)
• United States
17 Apr 09
Yeah, my husband's been threatening to do this, just wasn't sure if it was too harsh a punishment..??
1 person likes this
@LuvBr0wn13s (765)
• United States
17 Apr 09
My three year old now has his own room. He picks up after himself only because I had to threaten to start throwing things out that weren't put away. It only takes one time getting a few things into a trash bag. Most importantly---do not make an empty threat. Decide up front if you are going to donate the toys to the local goodwill or some other charity instead of just chunking things in the trash. Also, you WILL have to execute the threat the first time. You won't have to do it anymore though. No kid likes to have their toys taken away.
1 person likes this
@MysticTomatoes (1053)
• United States
17 Apr 09
I wouldn't think it's too harsh at all. I think it'll teach both your kids some discipline. Rather than telling them a thousand times to do something, if they know the end result is bad if they don't do it, they'd do it the first time you asked. I know I learned my lessons!
@LuvBr0wn13s (765)
• United States
17 Apr 09
I'm glad that 'Big Comfy Couch' routine worked for someone! It just made my kids think they could hide their toys in my sofa cushions.
@lumenmom (1986)
• United States
17 Apr 09
Maybe you might have to take away some of her privileges in the beginning. She is building a habit that is working for her so it has to be broken in a way that will get her attention. What does she like to do? Tell her she can't do them until the work is done. Maybe assign a limit to what the 7 year has to pick up and then dismiss her and do not allow the other child to leave thr room til she picks up her part. I know what you're talking about because I have an 8 year old niece who does the same thing. She'll watch all the other children pick up and she just fades into the background. Because I know this about her, I call her on it and if she does not do her part she does not get to participate in other things the kids do. She now does more (even though very grudgingly). Your 7 year old should not have to be told 1,000 times before she moves, either. There may need to be consequences for that behavior, too.
