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AAAAArgh! TIDY YOUR ROOM!!

Sarah - posted on 11/26/2008 ( 1 mom has responded )

14

9

I know this is an old arguement, but does anyone have any ideas?
I ask my 14yr old to tidy his room and he tries to make things better by tidying the livingroom and kitchen instead! I've tried taking his stuff out of his room and grounding him...but it doesn't work.
He shares his room with his 19mth old brother and we can't let him loose in there for fear of hurting himself. We've tried asking him to do it for his brother (who he loves very much) but even that doesnt work. We've even said we'd pay him to do it...but every time I check on his progress, he's just sat there in the middle of it all.
He knows it won't take long, but after three weeks...he still hasnt done it.
We've even gone in and done it for him, but it just gets back to where it started.
AAAAAAAAAArgh! help, please? It's the only arguement in the house.

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1 Comment

View replies by

Linda - posted on 11/26/2008

3

33

One of you sit in the room with him while he is cleaning. Stand your ground and don't leave until the room is as clean as you like it. Tell him you will be doing this with him everytime he doesn't keep it clean. Don't let him accept phone calls while he's doing this and and give him a time limit or he'll drag it out all day (learned that the hard way but I got even when they asked about dinner I told them I was in their room all day with them I didn't make dinner they would have to make their own). If you really want to make him mad tell him where you want everything he touches to go. I always tie what the kids are not doing with driving a car. "If I can't trust you to be responsible enough to keep your room clean, how can I trust you to be responsible enough to drive a car?"

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