Help Your Teen Clean Their Room in a Way They Will Actually Like

We tend to think of our homes as an extension of ourselves, that’s why we make every effort to keep it clean and tidy. That makes perfect sense – who on earth would like to be described as messy, disorganized, or even worse “trashed”? 

Teenagers are another story. They never cease to surprise with half-eaten and well-aged sandwiches in the depths of their wardrobes, all conceivable and inconceivable stuff under their beds, and filthy clothes all over their rooms. Parents ask themselves “What’s next? Rodents?!” but often feel helpless, having no idea how to make their son or daughter to clean his or her castle.

Do Not Give Up

While psychologists kindly explain that a messy room is, in fact, symbolic of the adolescent age, the majority of mums and dads consider such statements pretty feckless, desperately looking for a viable way to get things back on track and find even fragile balance between the “personal freedom” of their teenager and acceptable condition of his or her “castle”.

Fortunately, it’s not all bad and definitely too early to lapse into despair. Nothing is impossible if you have the right approach and catch a couple of tricks on how to deal with teenagers. Follow our tried and true tips on how to help your teen clean his or her room in a way they will actually like it and see how once the messiest area of your home is turning into a nice place to be!

Let Your Teen Have a Say

This is something you should consider long before the cleaning issue could arise, but as the famous saying goes better late than never. Let your son or daughter style his or her room in accordance with their tastes and preferences. 

Today, there are numerous opportunities to get fully customized bedsheets, rugs, window curtains, and even furniture pieces at very affordable prices, so use them to your teen to create their dream room. The folks at VisionBedding.com explained that you can browse for ideas for teen boys and teen girls like 3D, sports, nature, vehicle, special interests, and places bedding designs or simply use a favorite photo of your son or daughter to create a unique bedding set no one else has. Parents swear that personalized stuff can be a real game-changer because it’s natural for people (and teens are no exception) to take better care of the items they are really fond of. It can also be a poster or décor, the point is to show your teen that he or she has a say and you respect their opinions and taste.

Set an Example

It’d be naïve to expect your family members to keep their spaces clean if you do not tidy yours. This is not to say, you have to rub, dust, and vacuum 24/7 but just think of the message you send to your kids. According to a plethora of various studies, they are far more responsive to what they see with their own eyes than to what they are told. Remember that!

Make it Fun

Let’s face it, no one loves cleaning, so there is no reason your son or daughter is different. Why not try to make it fun? Let them listen to their beloved music, bring some snacks or fizzy drinks – stuff that is otherwise frowned upon, or use any other known methods to create a festive atmosphere that has nothing in common with unpleasant duties.

Choose the Right Time

If you bring up the cleaning question only from time to time when you get frustrated by the mess, bad marks, or inappropriate behavior of your teen, there is no way you can reach your goals. Do not turn room tidying into punishment and never use it as a way to hold over your kid, saying something like “Clean your room or you can’t go out”, especially if it’s just ten minutes before he or she has to leave the house to meet with friends. Be wise, choose the right moment, and give your teen enough time for cleaning if you want to get the job done

If you have already tried all the aforementioned tips but without success, you still have a couple of viable options left. Well, the approach is a bit different, but in the most challenging cases, can work miracles. Use every appropriate moment when your teen is at school or out with friends to clean their room yourself, arranging all the stuff up to your taste. Even the most stubborn teenagers won’t wait for too long to tidy up!