I DON'T DO TEENAGERS â—½ HOME
There are some teens that keep their rooms cleaned up, and wow what a cool thing that is to behold. But LOTS of teens can’t keep their rooms straight to save their neck! And parents walk in, and oh my, they just want to shut the door and scream. I remember those days, and I recall being the one that screamed!
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Here are a few things I remember that might help parents of teens with floors filled with clothes, lost pieces of everything good among clutter, and smells that are indescribable and not good…
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They aren’t adults yet and they need suggestions and order, because they really don’t know how to keep it all straight!
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They need reminding over and over again, though we tire of doing it.
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They could use a hand from time to time, and it can be great bonding while sorting and cleaning.
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They might like board or a list to work from. Some kids thrive with lists to mark off!
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​They could use some inspiration, so invite them to browse for bedroom ideas, then help them make it happen.
They might be depressed, so pray for them.
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They may need some organizers, so help them decide what they need and grab it.
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They may require boundaries (regarding food in the room, etc.) so give it to them. And stick to your guns – no food in the bedroom!
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They might need some instruction on the why’s of keeping a clean room.
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They may need to be given more responsibility and less privileges if room rules aren’t followed.
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Now all of the above requires time and effort on the part of parents, for sure. And there are some day when we just want to shut their doors and walk away. But honestly, parenting our teens on keeping their rooms clean is as important as parenting in any other area. Working together with them, praying for them, and helping them is all part of it. Maybe once a week evaluations and celebrations might be good.
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And even if you feel like a failure, because it was all clean and now it’s a mess again, just sigh and move forward to another day…and another try.