We came up with one step towards bringing a higher level of order to our house:
No food in the bedrooms. Ever.
We’d been experiencing increasing problems having the kiddoes keep their bedrooms clean. Our efforts at cajoling, convincing and threatening had come to naught. We didn’t know what to do. We found we had to step back and look at some of the causes of the clutter and the main reasons it bothered us.
This resulted in a major rule change. Eating snacks and such in bedrooms was no longer permitted.
We got some resistance at first, but it quickly diminished.
It’s early on in the new program, so we don’t have long-term results. But the early returns are good. Not only are we seeing no dishes and food waste in the bedrooms, but the absence of the foodstuffs seems to have helped foster a higher level of neatness and order in the bedrooms.
We hope this is permanent.
What else might be a good move for keeping a bit of order in your messiest rooms? Let us know if you have further ideas for us to try.