How to Deal With a Teenage Son Who Refuses to Clean His Bedroom

It's the age-old argument between parent and teen -- the messy bedroom. While your teen might contend that it's his room and his rules, you know that it's your home and you're in charge. By making a clean room an expectation, rather than once-in-a-while feat, your teen knows exactly what constitutes a clean room, and he knows what happens if he leaves it messy.

Instructions

    • 1

      Set clear expectations as to what exactly constitutes a "clean room." You can choose five or six things that must be done as part of room maintenance, such as bed made, clothing in the hamper or the carpet vacuumed. Letting your teen know exactly what you expect means he can't squeak by on a semi-clean room or only completing a few of the most important tasks.

    • 2

      Allow your teen to be affected by the natural consequences that occur when he leaves his room a mess, such as not being able to have friends over or not having clean laundry, suggests the Family Education website. Let him know that he can choose whether or not he cleans his room, but you can't do laundry if it's not in the hamper or help him find lost homework assignments in the mess.

    • 3

      Offer your teen help for organization purposes. It's difficult to keep a room clean when there isn't a specific place for everything. By offering crates, file folders or other organization tools, you can help your teen keep stuff organized and at his fingertips so it's easier to keep his room clean.

    • 4

      Pick your battles carefully and let the small stuff slide, suggests child therapist Carl Pickhardt in an article for Psychology Today. Teens often use the state of their rooms as a way to gain independence and separation from parents. While you might want a spotless room, give your teen kudos when he keeps things reasonably neat, instead of nagging when it's not done. You may find that he's less rebellious when you're less likely to be negative.

    • 5

      Set a good example for pride of ownership by keeping a neat house, suggests the PsychCentral website. If you leave your laundry around or allow the bathroom to be messy, your teen may begin to think that messiness is OK. Instead, keep your home neat and ask that he do the same as a member of the family. By setting an example, you set the precedent of respect in your home.

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