Get your kids room clean in 10 steps

Tongue-in-cheek list of how to get kids to clean their room.





1. In a calm, clear voice, simply request that they clean their room.

2. Turn off TV and through clenched teeth ask once again for compliance.

3. Break up fight, turn TV off again, and then demand immediate action.

4. Remove TV from room, yelling that the TV will be held hostage until room is clean.

5. Separate children into neutral corners and explain that Santa will not bring new toys to a messy room.

6. Offer a bribe of pizza for dinner if room is cleaned within the next 2 hours.

7. Break up another fight and threaten to throw toys away unless room is cleaned immediately.

8. Remove children from swinging on curtains and ceiling fan, then threaten no supper and an early bedtime if not cleaned "this minute!"

9. Break down and cry, while cleaning up remains of curtains and curtain rod, in hopes of inciting a "pity cleaning."

10. Give up and go clean it yourself while they enjoy pizza for dinner.


***Featured in the 05/08/2003 Short Story newsletter***