How to Help a 7 Year Old Keep His Room Clean?!?!

"Love and Logic" series addresses this very topic, and very creatively!
I suggest telling him that he only has to pick up the toys and clothes he wishes to keep. ;)

FlyLady.net has a great program for kids called something like the Room Fairy. Kids eat it up! But she also says that kids learn buy watching and example-- so if he's seeing you talk about picking up your things as you do it, it will help. She's absolutely great and totally free. Lots of Mamasource moms use her!

I keep 2 laundry baskets in my boys (5 and 7 years old, sharing a room) room. they have to put their underwear, socks, etc in one, colors in the other. When they get dressed in the AM, they have to put their pj's away in the drawer. If they don't, no TV, no computer, no Wii, no exceptions. As for their other toys, they have once a week/once every other week clean up. The only way i've found that to work is if I give them very specific instruction - for example, pick up all your Match Box cars and put them away. When that's done, I tell them what to clean up next. They seem overwhelmed if they have to figure out where to start and end up just playing with everything and making a BIGGER mess. I haven't found a way to have them clean up without checking on them every 20 minutes or so, but using a timer so they know they have to have the job they were just given done in a certain time - and having the timer ring to remind me to go check on them - helps. Good luck!

With my 3 year old daughter, whenever there is a mess she is responsible for-in her room, or the toy room, first thing in the morning, I tell her, "OK, no nummies (nickname for milk) or shows (they get an hour of PBS while I get ready for the day doing other stuff) until this is all picked up. I don't let her disobey and not pick up. It sometimes takes enforcing discipline after a warning, sometimes just a warning, but she never gets away with not doing it. It's been that way for so long, it's not much of a battle. I'm starting to give her brother who is almost 2 some chores too to help her.

You need to treat it like any other rule, and enforce discipline if he doesn't respond to you telling him to do it. It will take many episodes, since he's 7 and he's used to you giving up and not making him do it, or doing it yourself, but eventually he will learn he never gets away with it if you begin to be absolutely consistent with his consequences for not doing it. It's not so much about the room, as doing what you say, so it's the same as for any offense.

You should have a talk with him, make him understand that it's not "his" room, it's your room because it's in your house and you are letting him borrow it, but he must follow the same rules as everyone else and keep it somewhat tidy or there will be consequences. Then follow through EVERY TIME. Good luck!

I am battling my eight year old with this. Yesterday I helped her get it the way I want it. dusted and vacumed.
so she is starting with a clean slate. I told her as soon as she is done playing with a toy it needs to go back in it's place before another toy can come out.
I have also warned her-that's all she gets-that at night when I go in there and anything is on the floor, I am going to assume that she doesn't want it and I will get rid of it.
Tired of messes. Knowing her it'll work.

Yeah, I trip over stuff in my 7 year old's room too and this used to be the kid who made his bed without my asking! but, he's a really creative kid so sometimes there are legos everywhere or towns/towers that he has built.
at this point I've resorted to once a week on Sat. the kids have to "pick up" there room so the vacuum can go through it. When it's particularily bad, he asks me for help. but it certainly doesn't stay that way the rest of the week, but I do think it helps it from getting terrible. He's responsible too for sorting his laundry every monday, thurs. Sat. so at least that doesn't get too piled up.

good luck... I was never a kid who liked to clean my room so I guess this is payback!

I started a daily cleanup routine with my kids. During the summer it was immediately after naptime before they were allowed to come downstairs. Now that school is in and we aren't doing naptime it is usually after breakfast and before they are allowed to play (they go to preschool in the afternoon).

If you do something like this you could pair it with an incentive such as a treat if he complies to the cleaning rule for the entire week. If he doesn't comply take something away (privilege time, anything he didn't pick up, etc).

I know its a little late to respond but I'm going to anyway. I got so tired of always asking why everything was out of place I finally made a chores Chart. My sons 8 and my daughter is 5. Every Wed. and Sat. is clean room day (this includes the loft where they also play with stuff). When they ask to watch tv or play outside I just say when your chores are done you can. Having them clean twice a week really helps keep it cleaner and when they go to clean it, it isn't overwelming for them. Having them do it everyday just didn't work. Especially with our busy schedules (dance, sports, school events, etc.) My 5 yr. old gets destracted and I have to refocus her every so often but it seems to be working. I can live with it not being clean a few days a week.
BTW both of my kids have other chores to do and get an allowance ($2 a week). It never too early to teach them life skills! Trash, sorting laundry, setting napkins and silverwear out for dinner.

As a youngster, my daughter kept her room pretty clean - no that she is a teenager - I don't even go in there! I tried one day to push the door open - and it was difficult. she is a great kid, so I pick my battles. Good hygiene, good grades, trustworthy friends, no smoking, drinking, drugs or sex, = so a messy room - doesn't bother me - much! she spends most of the day studing her homework (3 AP classes, an honors class, Calculas & Trig +band) then because her schedule is so packed - takes an after school Choir class once a week. She also is involved in Interact, Debate Team, Model UN, SADD, Prayer Circle and to top that all off, is the church secretary, Bible Club teacher, Youth Group, Puppet Ministry, and is an advisory board member of the local Salvation Army. Granted - these are all her choices - not ours. She is in the National Honor Society (3.76 weighted of 4.0) - but we did put our foot down and tell her no dual enrollment classes this year. Musical in the spring too.

Picking our battles - is important. If she can live with her room that way - okay. She does her own laundry - and helps to C. a few nights a week. did I mention she was 17 and a Senior in High School. I know when she leaves for college late next summer - her drom room will be clean (she keeps things together when she camps, goes to grove city as a delegate for the church so it is just here)
If this is the most important thing to you - by all means try a list, use a kaper chart and reward system. Start with one thing at a time.
Good luck -

I agree with Suzy..."Love and Logic" is a spectacular series and it works with kids from toddlers to teenagers. To get it under control from the start you may want to clean it with him and make sure there is an organizational system he understands and has ownership in creating such as taking digital photos of his belongings (neat and tidy) and putting the pictures on the bin where they belong. If he takes the photos and prints them, he should begin to own the process.

I have friends who charge their children money when it gets so bad that the parents have to clean the room for the children. This is very effective for kids who get an allowance and who understand the value of work. Of course, another friend who tried this strategy with their pre-teen had it backfire when the boy told his dad, "I have $15, you want to clean my room for me?"

M. -

Unfortunately there is no miracle, but i thought it would give some advise that i have tried and worked. I'm sure you have learned that you can not MAKE your kids do anything. The only thing we can control is how we react and respond to things. I told my boys that it is their room and their responsibility, however it is my choice to not enter a room that is messy. Therefore if clothes are not in the hamper they don't get cleaned. If i have clean clothes to put away and the room is a mess the clothes stay in the basket outside the door. At bedtime I won't go into their room to read them a story and give hugs and kisses(this one is the one that got them) Don't make it a punishment, it is simply a choice that you are making. It is his choice at that point how he wants to keep his room. Hope this helps
H.

I know you have already received many helpful answers, but I thought one more wouldn't hurt. I got tired of nagging my kids about cleaning their rooms. It's hard when they have just set up wonderful pretend play and then have to clean it up. We now have a Saturday morning cleaning schedule where everything has to be picked up before we do anything else. Sometimes it gets pushed to the afternoon if we are busy in the morning. My only rule during the week is that there is a "fire lane" from the door to the bed for safety reasons. I have to be able to walk from the door to their bed without tripping on any toys. It has made my life less hectic and I don't feel like a nag. Good luck!