The teen years are difficult for teens and parents alike, and one of the top reasons is because a teen’s natural instinct is to create mess everywhere they go. The internet is widespread with the endless psychological reasons that teenagers aren’t bothered by mess, especially in their bedrooms. And, what’s even more prevalent are the endless strategies on how to help your teen clean their room. After decades of our own research, we’ve come to the conclusion that instead of a no-mess approach, a less-messy bedroom is a more realistic standard. We can’t guarantee results, but our tips will at minimum lessen the messes!
Creativity is the Mother of Invention
Every human being on this earth is wired a little differently, and so is your teen. Perhaps she or he prefers hooks over hangers, or hangers over drawers, or everything neatly folded away in a wardrobe. Finding the organizational system that they like will help decrease mess. Allowing your teenager to change how they sort and store their clothing, and upgrading décor is a creative process that will go a long way in showing them that you respect their growing needs. No huge expense is required. Dedicate an entire week to spending 20 minute chunks of time reviewing your teen’s bedroom with them, and figure out what they need now for this new stage in their life. They may want a shelf for books and favourite souvenirs or extra hooks for baseball caps or purses. Upgrade paint, curtains and linens when the budget allows.
Cause & Effect
September is a very disruptive month for families raising teenagers. There are new school course calendars, new extracurricular activities to schedule, and some teens are busy with part-time and volunteer work too. Once the dust settles in late September, create a family chore calendar. As a family you’ll need to decide what the cause and effect will be when chores are ignored. Phone privileges taken away, allowance held back, or having to miss a party because chores aren’t done is the norm, when it comes to discipline.
Take Out their Trash
As a parent, it’s easy to want to ignore a teenager’s mess. Closing the door every time you walk past the room allows you to be oblivious to the severity of chaos, but it won’t help your teen in the long run. One simple way to keep the mess in check is by telling your teen that the adults in the home will vacuum and take out all the trash on a weekly basis. Advise them that you expect all clothing to be hung, put into the hamper and everything moved up off the floor. If you stick to your routine, it will help them stick to their routine too.
Start your teen off with a fresh slate this September. Contact your local MOLLY MAID for a scheduled cleaning and show your household what a real deep clean looks like! It will then be much easier and more manageable for them to maintain in the coming months. Think you’re on a roll? Check out our guide on How to Teach Your Teen to Clean a Bathroom!
