Older kids clutter

[Quickshep19]

I am having difficulty getting motivated to work on DS1's room. I think I'm burned out on decluttering & organizing/cleaning his pigsty. I can do it on a Monday am & Tuesday after school it is trashed. Does anybody else have this issue? I haven't even cleaned his room all the way since we moved in. Guess this thread is now my guilt trip to myself to do this tomorrow while he is at school. Not fun. Tuesday pm it will be nasty again, just watch. Haha

Eta: he is 11 & I always do it "right" then he junks it up. Is this my problem? I try to teach him how to do it.

Jodie ~ wife & mama

[clothlover8]

Aggh I don't know my older ones rooms are the hardest for me to declutter, they don't like me doing it - I think they think I will throw everything away and they have so much stuff. Honestly I am thinking about getting locks on the outside of their doors and just locking them during the day so no-one else can accidently get into them and see the mess lol.

[ulawolf]

I don't touch my kids rooms after about age ten. Up until then i will help clean with me doing more at about age 2 and me doing less until i do none of it exert supervise. If my teens want to do something over the weekend they know their rooms must be clean and organized including laundry done. (Unless they have reserved washing machine on sunday). They all help with laundry starting at about 3. And are doing their own laundry by 12.

[Quickshep19]

Originally Posted by clothlover8 Aggh I don't know my older ones rooms are the hardest for me to declutter, they don't like me doing it - I think they think I will throw everything away and they have so much stuff. Honestly I am thinking about getting locks on the outside of their doors and just locking them during the day so no-one else can accidently get into them and see the mess lol.

We have a hook & eye latch on his door but that is just to keep little brothers out. I do toss his stuff but just broken things & obvious trash. Drives me nuts. Ugh. As soon as the hubs wakes up I am going to tackle the trash heap. I am scared.

Jodie ~ wife & mama

[Quickshep19]

Originally Posted by ulawolf I don't touch my kids rooms after about age ten. Up until then i will help clean with me doing more at about age 2 and me doing less until i do none of it exert supervise. If my teens want to do something over the weekend they know their rooms must be clean and organized including laundry done. (Unless they have reserved washing machine on sunday). They all help with laundry starting at about 3. And are doing their own laundry by 12.

I wish not being able to go with friends was good moivation. He cleans then trashes the same day! Mostly he strategically hides things then I find it later. Guess I better get up his tush a bit more. He is just such a difficult child.

Jodie ~ wife & mama

[ulawolf]

Originally Posted by Quickshep19 I wish not being able to go with friends was good moivation. He cleans then trashes the same day! Mostly he strategically hides things then I find it later. Guess I better get up his tush a bit more. He is just such a difficult child. Jodie ~ wife & mama

My kids pretty much know mom can walk into their rooms any time and if it's too terrible then they start losing things like computer, tv, electronic, car keys etc but to be honest unless it's a pig sty i don't care during the week much. Its their room and i dont have to live in it. My adult friends never look in their rooms and if their friends come over it must ne cleaned.

[TypeAMom]

My stepson is pretty good about keeping the clutter down b/c a) he doesn't live here full time, b) my husband makes him pick up stuff off the floor and c) he's mostly into electronics which take up way less room than younger kid toys. When decluttering needs to be done, I'll let him know that I'm going to Goodwill and take whatever he doesn't want any more. If it's junk, we trash it. If it's ok, it goes to goodwill and if it's really cool, I store it in the attic for DD. BTW, I always say he can store what he wants for memories in the attic or mention that he can bring it home w/ him and pass onto his little brother and luckily he usually goes this way, and I don't have to deal w/ all his toys in the attic.