Discipline

Turn a dreaded chore into a fun accomplishment

You’ve nagged, threatened and bribed. But your child’s room is still a mess. It’s time for new tactics.

Appeal to his sense of fun and pride. He’ll come to enjoy having a clean room. Being organized, clean and neat will help him with schoolwork, too.

Follow these steps:

1. Take a “before” photo of your child’s messy room.
2. Collect cleaning supplies in a colorful bucket. Include rags, sponges and cleaning supplies that he can use safely.
3. Turn the radio on to your child’s favorite music. Get him started by helping him pick up clothes, stack toys and make the bed.
4. Play “human cleaning machine” with your child. Wrap dust cloths or microfiber mop covers around his hands and arms. Show him how to dust. Hold him by his feet and guide him over the floor like a dust mop.
5. Praise him for a job well done after his room is clean.
6. Take an “after” photo. Blow up both before and after pictures. Hang them on his wall. Compare photos. Which room does he prefer?

Reprinted with permission from the May 2007 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2007 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: Denise Chapman Weston and Mark S. Weston, Playful Parenting: Turning the Dilemma of Discipline into Fun and Games, ISBN: 0-87477-734-8 (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1-800-526-0275, www.penguinputnam.com).