7 Easy Ways to Make Tidying-up a Lifelong Habit

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Do you ever just gaze around your home and despair at the mess? You've just tidied up after the kids in one room and, while your back is turned, they have been wreaking havoc in another! It's never-ending and it can feel soul-destroying at times, especially if you are expecting company!

These tidying-up techniques are designed to be effective immediately. Once in place, these tips will have your kids tidying up straight away and possibly even having some fun along the way!

Obviously, as moms, we know that we're in this for the long run, and unless we want to be picking up after our kids in their new home when they (eventually) move out, then we need to help them form some good habits now.

Don't worry though, it's not as hard, or as boring, as it sounds. What if I told you, you could do both at the same time? Get your kids tidying right now, and simultaneously teach them the virtue of being tidy in the long run.

It's a win for you now and for them in the future.

Why teach kids to tidy up?

My short answer would be 'because I don't want to be treated as their slave for the next 18 years and then have them live in a pig stye once they move out'!

I do get this question though. I often think it would just be quicker and easier to tidy the mess myself once they're in bed, or just leave it a few days, rather than go through the agony of insisting they help tidy their own belongings.

Although it can feel like hard work in the beginning, it really is worth the effort, not just in the long term, but also in the medium term. It teaches responsibility. A vital skill. With these simple hacks to help make tidying up a lifelong habit, it won't feel like half the battle it used to. Promise!

How young should my kid be tidying up?

The general rule I would follow is that if they are able to play with the toys, then they are able to tidy them away too.

It's worth bearing in mind that there are different levels to tidying. Whilst you cannot expect a 12-month-old to be sorting toys into the correct containers and carrying them into their bedroom to put neatly on the shelf, they are more than capable of helping you deposit toys into a nearby basket.

These baby steps are crucial in helping your kids into the mindset of being family contributors and taking responsibility for their own belongings.

How to make tidying-up fun for kids?

Let's face it, tidying up is not the most fun activity ever! However, as adults, we have come up with many ways to make the required tasks more enjoyable.

Cleaning up my kitchen is definitely more fun (not to mention quicker) when I blast my favorite music and sing at the top of my lungs! Music is a great motivator for our kids too.

Keep reading for more tips to make tidying up fun for kids, as well as helping to instill it as a lifelong habit.

How to make tidying up a lifelong habit?

To be completely honest, one of the biggest things I have found, not just for tidying but every aspect of parenting, is that modeling is key.

Our kids are little sponges and they absorb everything going on around them. They may not listen to what we say all the time, but they sure as anything watch and learn from what we do.

If we tell them to keep their toys tidy and they see us leaving coffee cups lying about and dirty dishes all over the kitchen, they are not going to be neat and tidy in the long term!

If, like me, you're not the world's tidiest person, don't fear! I have you covered. These techniques work pretty well for moms too, so we can learn and practice alongside our little ones.

1. A Fun Tidy-Up Song

This is a classic way to make tidying up more appealing, especially for quite young kids. Most childcare providers use this to motivate their little ones into tidying up at the end of the day. In fact, the tidy-up song is a highlight of my daughter's nursery day some days!

Youtube is full of different versions of tidy-up songs or you can create your own personalized tidy-up song to sing together while you tidy. You can even have a little dance together!

Music is a great motivator for us as adults too. While we are working or doing jobs around the house, many of us find it helpful to listen to music or have the radio going in the background. I know that I can get those toilets cleaned a lot faster if I have a workout mix playing while I clean.

It's also worth bearing in mind that tidying up is a big transition for many kids. They often go from being engrossed in play, to being told to tidy up. This is not the most pleasing change of activity for them. Making transitions fun, and distracting your kid during the transition, can really help to avoid meltdowns and upset.

2. Set a Timer

I have done this loads of times with my kids. We set a timer (ideally for slightly longer than I think it will take to tidy, although this can be hard to judge). Then you work with your kids to finish tidying a room before the timer goes off.

This element of challenge and a race against the clock makes tidying more exciting and like a game. It also helps you both realize how little time it really takes to tidy up.

As they get older, I have transitioned to tidying my own mess in the kitchen, while they tidy their toys and we both tidy fast to beat the clock. I still check in on them a few times to keep them on task.

The next step will be getting them to set the timer themselves and tidy up completely independently. This is a great technique that I use myself if I have an area of the house to tidy and want to avoid procrastination. Setting a time limit gives you that extra motivation and focus.

3. Think Creatively

Lets face it, as we get older, it's a great skill to be able to imaginatively think of ways to make conventionally boring jobs more fun or interesting.

For kids, almost anything can be turned into a game, with a little imagination. If you start them off with ideas, they will soon be coming up with their own in no time!

A little competition can be really motivating. Designate sections or types/colors of toy and race each other to tidy away. If you're tidying soft objects, like cuddly toys, or silicone blocks, you could have a competition by throwing them into the box from a distance and see who gets the most in.

Toy cars can race towards their box, balls can be rolled or thrown into theirs, and stuffed toys can jump or climb into their box. If your kid has lots of energy, then bigger movements can be used, like hopping with their teddies back to the bedroom, pushing the boxes back to the bedroom on hands and knees, and galloping with toy horses.

They can create little stories to go along with their tidying up too. Perhaps they have to tidy up before the mean Ogre returns, or before they can go to the ball. They might be helping their teddy bears to get home before dark, or tucking the baby dolls into their beds for the night. Chances are, once you get the ball rolling, your kids will come up with loads of ideas.

4. Plan an Incentive

This is the most effective way that I motivate myself, to be honest! Once I've cleaned the loo, I'll check my Instagram account for 5 minutes, or I'll get a cup of tea once I have finished proofreading this article. I'll watch my favorite Netflix show, once I have finished the dishes and the kids are in bed in the evening.

The kids can get involved in planning a pleasant activity for after tidy-up time. For example, my kids have TV time at 4 pm until dinner, but they know their stuff needs to be tidy before the TV goes on. Reminding them half an hour before TV time to tidy up so they are ready usually works well. Tidying up before going somewhere fun or before dinner time works well for us too. It could even be as simple as choosing a story that you will read together once the sitting room is tidy.

5. Make a List and Group Tasks Together

This one may sound boring but it really does work. Both for me and my kids! There is something lovely about ticking an item off your list and feeling a sense of accomplishment.

For kids, it means we don't have to nag and they can be a bit more independent. They love this and it is a great way to help make tidying up a lifelong habit for them.

If your little one is not yet reading, a list can still work. Draw pictures for them to cross off or color in when they have done the task. A visual cue like a list is so helpful for kids to stay on track and see exactly what needs to be done.

It also helps to break our tasks down into smaller, more manageable pieces.

I had an ah-ha moment recently. I looked at the mess in the lounge and could see that it was roughly 3 groups of toys that had been played with. Train set pieces, wooden blocks, and toy cars. Three tubs worth of toys. It wouldn't take more than 5 minutes to quickly sort through and pop them into the right boxes and away. My kid was acting like it was the end of the world, and then I realized that he has not learned to group things like that in his mind. To him, he just saw a huge mess of mixed toys everywhere that would take ages to tidy away.

Writing a list helps our kids learn to group tasks together for speed.

6. Everything Has Its Place

Have you ever put off tidying a specific pile of assorted items because most of them don't actually have a place to go?

Our kitchen island has become a bit of a dumping ground recently. Piled high with kids' drawings, a few broken toys, school letters, a few plastic containers, and some fruit; it was seriously stressing me out.

Yet, as I told my son not to pile any more drawings on the heap, I realized I couldn't expect him to stop this until I had actually got a designated place for them to be put.

Together we are working to find a home for everything. This makes tidying up so much quicker and easier for them, as well as us. Once done, this makes routine tidying up so much easier. Organization is key to quick and easy tidying.

7. Enjoy the Effect Together

Make time together to appreciate the clutter-free space and the fact it makes finding toys and belongings so much quicker and easier.

Teaching our kids to take pride in their work and helping them see the benefits it has to them and the family will intrinsically motivate them to tidy up long-term because they can see the benefit of it.

That's the goal. We don't just want kids who tidy up for a few years because they have to, but teenagers, and one day adults, who see the benefit of a tidy and organized home and choose to live this way because they want to. Seriously, you will thank your younger self one day!

Intrinsic motivation is the long-term goal as we help our kids make tidying-up a lifelong habit.

Last Thoughts on Making Tidying-Up a Lifelong Habit

In conclusion, getting our kids motivated to tidy up after themselves doesn't have to be stressful or overwhelming. With the help of these hacks, we can get them happily tidying up after themselves both now and in the future.