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Baby Names - Techniques
How do you even begin the process of naming your baby? Where do you start? Do you crack open a book with tens of thousands of names? Just pick a name out of the air? This article will provide you with some popular techniques for naming your child...
Beaten Down ... Being the victim of one-upmanship!
It is not in how others treat you that can make a difference in your life, but it is in how you treat yourself.
It's a funny world in which we live. Some people want badly to succeed. Others want badly to see others fail. Although this might...
Eclectic Paths To Integration Series – Shaman/Shadow
This is part two in a series of articles dealing with integrative processes and models. This part of the series discusses Kashmir Shaivism, Thelema, and the Shaman/Shadow dichotomy.
The dualistic nature of our universe sets the stage for the...
Stop Letting Social Security Disability Cheat You Out of the Benefits You Deserve
After Mary's failed back surgery, her doctor told her he'd support her claim for disability. His eyes were comforting and Mary felt like she'd finally found someone who understood the pain she was in. She'd already gone through years of undiagnosed...
Top Ten Benefits of Play
Play is extremely important for humans from birth to death. Play is not meant to be just for children. It is a form of release and connection that can tap the creativity and can allow you the chance to connect with your inner child and the...
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Clean Your Room!!
How many times have you said that as a parent? Or...how many times have you heard that as a kid?
The whole "keep-your-room-clean war" happens in just about every household, but believe it or not, there are ways to make it not such a headache for both kids and parents.
The first thing you as a parent must remember is that every kid is different. Just like every adult is different. YOUR idea of clean is most likely not the same as your child's.
Also, all people (adults and kids) organize a space in their own way.
Let me give you example: My five year old son's idea of an organized room is that everything is in it's place. He likes things lined up where he can see them and when he cleans his room, everything goes back in the same spot where it belongs.
Now my 7 year old daughter, who is the creative type, doesn't really care where it goes. She has the "out of sight, out of mind" mindset. So trying to get her to put things in the same place every time is like pulling teeth!
After realizing and accepting that both kids are completley different I had to come up with different ways to help them keep their room clean.
What I just said is KEY! Coming up with ways to HELP them keep their rooms clean. If they have no system in place or nowhere to keep their things, then cleaning their room will seem like an impossible task. But, if you as the parent can adapt their rooms to their personality type, it will make things a lot easier.
Now back to my kids...For my son, having things labeled is a big help. He has a bin
labeled "army men", one labeled "dinosaurs", etc. So when I say, "please clean up your army men", he knows exactly where they go.
As for my daughter...I tried the labeling technique and what did she do? She took them off because she didn't like it. She said, "I know where my things go". So for her, dividing her room into zones (dress-up, doll house etc.) with a bin or two for each helps her keep her room clean.
I tried having one drawer for all her dress-up shoes and one drawer for all her dress-up accessories, but it just didn't work. She wants them all in one bin and doesn't mind digging for her things. Digging drives me crazy, but for her, it's just fine...and maybe even fun.
Last but not least, just walking into your kid's room and saying "Clean Your Room!" is usually not the best way to go. For toddlers, elementary age and for some teenagers it is a good idea to be specific.
For example: "Please put all your dress-up clothes in the box and all your doll clothes in their box." That way they have a specific mission. Instead of just looking at their room in a state of confusion, you have given them some direction.
One note to parents: Keeping YOUR room clean also will set a GREAT example for your kids! Hey, just making the bed makes a world of difference ;).
About the Author
Julie Bonner is the co-owner of www.cool-kid-bedrooms.com and has had extensive experience in organizing and decorating kids' bedrooms as well as all other areas of the home. She lives in Georgia with her husband and three children.
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