Why is my child so messy?

Children have a different sense of order than adults. Rather, they don't yet have the aesthetic need for everything to look clean and tidy. Hardly any preschool child keeps their room tidy on their own. That's no surprise, because small children are usually overwhelmed by tidying up. Why tidying up even after repeated reminders doesn't by itself work, may be related to the children's perception of time: Children always live in the moment and don't plan their actions ahead, unlike adults who demand "FIRST tidy up and THEN play". But even if it strains your nerves: children need to learn to keep things tidy. Small games or a daily routine help make tidying up less stressful.

General tips for keeping things tidy with children

Make tidying up a routine: Children learn through repetition; that also applies to keeping things tidy. Eventually tidying will become routine, even if it takes a bit of time.

Create a system: Especially in the children's room, tidying up is easier when everything is clearly organized. Toys should be stored in boxes or baskets, games and books have their own shelf spaces.

Every item has its place: Label baskets and shelf compartments with a picture of the toy that belongs inside. You can label coat hooks and cubbies in the shoe cabinet with your child's name or their picture.

Set fixed times for tidying up: Half an hour every evening is ideal to tidy up carefully and without time pressure. It's important to keep these times regular. This way your child will soon perceive tidying up as a natural part of the day.

Don't threaten: "If you don't tidy up your toys, they'll be taken away!" Threats and scolding only put children under pressure and are usually of little help. Better: tidy up together calmly.

Sort out toys: If there are too many toys, your child loses track. Remove seldom-used toys so that keeping things tidy becomes easier.

Be a good role model: Children copy their parents' behavior. Leading by good example therefore usually works better than constant admonishing.

Playfully keeping things tidy – tips and ideas

Children basically play at everything they do. You can use this to your advantage: liven up daily tidying with a few little games. Of course you have to be present while tidying up and it may take some time until all the toys are back in their place. In return, keeping things tidy gets a positive spin and becomes a nice time spent together in the end.

Tidying up by color: You name a color or roll a color on a color dice, then help your child put all toys of that color away. Once everything is put away, move on to another color.

Who knows? If several children are involved, you can accompany tidying up with a guessing game. You hold up a toy and ask: Who knows where this belongs? Whoever first points to the correct place or toy box may choose the next toy. This game also works when unloading the dishwasher or when clothes are lying around.

Tidying up with the dice: The dice game is great when there's a lot of small stuff lying around, for example building blocks, Lego bricks or books. You roll a number and your child must tidy up as many items as the dice shows. Then your child may roll and you tidy up the corresponding number, and so on.

Playing while tidying up: Children love it when mom or dad play along. You can use this for tidying: all the stuffed animals can go on a big trip to the plush basket together, or the Playmobil pirates can hide in the toy box from the attack of a dangerous sea monster. Let your imagination run wild.

Race to tidy up: Two siblings or you and your child each choose a color and must then tidy up all toys of that color. Whoever finishes first gets a point and whoever has the most points at the end may choose a bedtime story.

Tidy up the children's room?

Our O•O hack for cleaning magic

Most of the time it only takes small tricks and many things become easier during spring cleaning. Then tricky everyday moments in the household turn into wonderfully unforgettable O•Oments. That's why we'll regularly provide you from now on with clever and funny ideas, that are easy to implement. We HABAs lovingly call them our O•O Hacks, because they make family life so much more colorful, easier and nicer. Let our hacks inspire you, try them out and feel free to share your own clever ideas with us and others!

During spring-cleaning time it also means: Tidy up the kids' room! But how to get the kids excited about it, bringing order to their own little den ? Children usually give a wide berth to shovel, broom & Co. ...

Little tip: the tape trick!

It makes crumbs, spilled glitter, scraps, eraser bits, etc. disappear in no time. All you need is some electrical or other adhesive tape. Simple sticky notes also work great to quickly and thoroughly pick up tiny crumbs.

Here's how:

• Wrap some tape with the sticky side out around your fingers.

• Then let the hand crawl over the surfaces to be cleaned like a crumb monster.

You'll be amazed how quickly your kids get everything clean this way …

O•O hack by the way: What works with the hands works just as well with the feet. Try it out and "tape one on"!