Typically, my children are responsible for tidying their own spaces. I believe this task fosters a sense of accountability and ownership, helping to shape their character and prepare them for independent living. Plus, if I’m honest, I often prefer to avoid dealing with their clutter.
However, there are moments—perhaps once a year—when I find it essential to step in and handle the cleaning myself. These instances usually occur when:
- A significant portion of my silverware is mysteriously absent, along with all my mixing bowls.
- The odor wafting from the room has become so familiar that we’ve given it a nickname. “Stenchie’s back” is a phrase you might hear in our household.
- We’ve been late to school or other commitments too many times because I’ve been rummaging through my tween’s chaotic space to locate a frequently misplaced item.
If you manage to get your tween to maintain their own room, kudos to you. But if you find yourself in a similar predicament, here are some strategies to consider:
- Wait until your tween is at school, at camp, or spending time with relatives. You’ll need uninterrupted time for this mission and definitely don’t want a disgruntled tween protesting their “rights.”
- Gather your supplies: trash bags, recycling bins, cleaning sprays, cloths, a vacuum, gloves, and maybe a shovel for the more intense clean-up.
- Ensure all windows and doors are open, regardless of the weather; you’ll need fresh air to survive the cleaning process.
- Identify and eliminate the source of the unpleasant smell. This may involve washing some very questionable socks, disposing of rotten food, or even tossing out some old shoes or questionable clothing. Caution: there may be multiple sources of the odor.
- Collect and wash every piece of clothing on the floor, even if you suspect some might be clean. If it’s been on the floor, it definitely needs a wash.
- Next, tackle the trash. Ideally, you’ll only find used tissues, wrappers, and stale snacks. But brace yourself for the possibility of worse discoveries. For anything stuck to the floor, using scissors may be your best bet, or consider rearranging the furniture to conceal it.
- Reclaim your kitchen items. Assess whether any dirty or moldy dishes are worth salvaging. If not, toss them. Soak the salvageable ones before running them through the dishwasher.
- While it may seem overwhelming, pull everything out from under the desk, bed, and bookcase all at once. After resisting the urge to set it all ablaze, repeat the cleanup steps.
- If you stumble upon your tween’s hidden candy stash, feel free to indulge—just make sure to wash your hands first.
- Sort through the remaining items into two categories: necessary and unnecessary. Put away what you’re keeping and hide the extraneous items until you can donate them. Hide them well!
- Wipe down surfaces, walls, and doors, and don’t forget to dispose of the cleaning rag afterward.
- Vacuum the floor to rediscover what color the carpet actually is.
- Capture some photos to document this brief moment of cleanliness before the room inevitably returns to its previous state of disarray the very next day.
When your tween returns, put on headphones and blast your favorite tunes. Consider buying movie tickets for neighbors to avoid any potential screaming about how unfamiliar their room has become.
NOTE: If you happen to come across your tween’s journal, do not read it—no matter how tempting. Respecting their privacy is crucial, and some things are better left unseen (not that I speak from experience).
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In summary, while it can be daunting to clean a tween’s room, following a structured approach can make the process easier and more effective.