A child's room is disorganized either because of a lack of knowledge and know-how by the child, or by choice. A child is naturally full of curiosity and naturally places items in the most convenient place for them, so that they can get to their next curiosity... and the cycle continues. Therefore, a child will keep a cluttered lifestyle until they know better and until it serves them better to do otherwise. To keep a child's room organized, the child needs the tools and the know-how to organize; this is where the parent comes in.
The Approach: Choice and Reward Within
Kids Toy Bin
As a parent, it is important to guide the child without criticizing, but instead with positive reinforcement that allows your child to find the reward from within. This allows the child to learn to choose an organized lifestyle for their own personal reasons -- instead of for external reasons. For example, if they are keeping an organized room because of a promised treat or gift, or because it makes the parent happy, what happens when those rewards are not present? The child should take care of his or her responsibilities because it makes them happy.
Now, this doesn't mean that you can't withhold a daily treat or a weekly gift if your child doesn't take care of responsibilities. This is like "real life": if you don't go to work, you don't get paid; if you don't pay your electric bill, you don't get electricity. They need to know that these consistent items are earned, like a paycheck for adults. If the child has television or video game time at a certain time every day, they should get to have this at the same time every time, unless they haven't earned it.
Note however, that this is not a reward, but a normal consistent item that the child receives for doing a normal consistent behavior. They are not getting a treat for cleaning their room or punished for not cleaning their room; they basically get what they get. So, when they ask (and they should ask) for their television time, you ask, "Is your room done?" -- letting them answer their own question. If they don't want to clean their room, then they don't want to play video games, watch T.V., or have their daily treat. It's all about choice.
It is also very important to not be critical, but instead to praise the child when they do a good job. Let the child find the reward from within. The child should get responses that let them know that they should be happy with their own self and not happy because mommy and daddy are happy. For example, you can say, "You did it. You put your toys away all by yourself!" or "You are so good at (blank)." A response like "good girl" is a response that leaves the child's self-esteem dependent on the response, instead of the action or behavior. They begin to look for these general responses, to know that they are good in your eyes. By following these steps consistently, your child will make the choice to be organized.
The Approach: Routines and Consistency
The parent needs to consistently help the child get organized. Show and teach your child the routines necessary to take responsibility for their own area and to keep organized. It is important that the training is done everyday and that the kid is held responsible everyday. Start small and make sure the child understands what needs to be done before holding the child accountable. It begins with showing how to put things away, and then by guiding the child, and then by taking off the training wheels. For example, start with having your child put their dirty clothes in the hamper, reminding the child to do so, and then holding the child accountable. Consistency and routine is the key to having your child consistently stay organized.
Tools:
This starts with giving your child the tools to organize. The tools give the child a consistent place for items to go and the ability to put things away. These are some tools the child should have:
Closet Doubler
These extra closet rods hook onto an existing rod to create a double hang feature. This brings the closet rod down to their level
Hooks mounted at a height the child can reach
Some clothing like jackets and sweaters, that don't need to be washed every time they are worn, can be hung on hooks.
Clear shoe boxes
Use clear shoe boxes to store shoes that are not being worn the next day.
Labeled or colored bins or boxes.
Use boxes and bins that are labeled with a picture of the items that go in the bin.
Use boxes and bins that are colored to organize similar items. For example, toys in a blue bin, books in a white one, crafts in a red one, and so on.
Hamper without a lid
Keep a hamper out in the open (out of the closet) in the child's room
A check list (for school age)
Helps prioritize.
Using the Tools:
Then the child needs to learn to use the tools. Here are some methods to show your child how to organize (remember consistency is the key):
Preparing for the next day
Have your child choose their clothing from their closet and place it on a designated hook.
Have your child place their shoes for the next day under the bed or with the next day's outfit. All shoes not being used currently, or for the next day, should be in clear stackable shoe boxes.
Have your child prepare their backpack for school and place on the hook.
Arriving back at home
Have your child put their jacket, backpack, and hat on designated hooks
Have your child tell you or write it down in their to-do-list what they will be doing (i.e. snack time, then homework, video games, play outside, shower, clean up, get ready for tomorrow, and sleep). (This will teach prioritizing and instill the normal routines that should happen if responsibilities are achieved.)
Annual Purging
Use Christmas or another day the child receives new items as a motivator for making decisions to make room for new items. Ask them which items they would like to give to a sibling, friend, or a family in need. Don't force the issue; just let the child know that if they don't have the shelf space, they don't have the room for a new item.
Toys
Take pictures of categorized items, like dolls or Hot Wheels, and put the picture on the front of bins or boxes.
This is usually the hardest for the child to get a consistent grasp on, so stay consistent in checking this.
If you teach your child how to organize and teach them how to take responsibility for their own area, it will traverse from the bedroom to school, work, and life in general. Stay consistent and eventually your child will do the same. It may be a hard road, but laying a good foundation for your child, and saving your sanity, makes it all worth it.