Friday Clean Me Bedrooms

Bedrooms are a challenge for kids.  You can't tell a kid "go clean your room" or, 30 minutes later, they are just up there playing polly pocket meets dinosaur.  So we have a very set series of things we do to clean our bedrooms (hey... what works for the kids works for me....)

For the girls (ages 3 & 6) I give them category assignments:  First do this.  Then do this.  The categories are:  Bed, Books, Desk, Laundry (Dirty downstairs, Clean put away), Dress up, Kitchen toys, Dolly stuff.  Sometimes I say, "Go upstairs and put away the books, then report back."  Sometimes I give them tictacs. 

The boy (age 8) likes the "clock" method.  Due west is 12:00 (and his desk).  I say, "Clean from 12:00-1:00." Away he goes.  Then 1:00-2:00.  3:00 is his bed and book stack.  Ugh.  And on as he works his way around the room until it is all done. 

And what about me?  Well.... at least I don't have a closet to clean.  I sort/organize drawers under the bed (2), dresser drawers (2 big and 3 narrow jewelry ones), organize accessories (scarves/jewelry).  I tidy my night stand.  Dust maybe.  Wash sheets.  Vacuum/sweep.  And.... that's about all it takes.  I guess there are some advantages to a tiny bedroom.

The Basics (this is the 5 minute stuff that should happen every day/night)
Make the bed.  (Are we the only family that doesn't believe in a top sheet?)
Put clothes in the laundry.
Empty the potty chair.  (What?  It is a long, dark way to the one-and-only bathroom in our house.....)

Deep
Empty bed.  (Seriously.... so many toys and hair clips....)
Put away books.  (Also... turn spines to face the correct direction.)
Put away clean clothes.
Put away dress up clothes.
Put away kitchen toys.
Put away lego.
Put away games.
Put away dollies.
Put away art supplies/desk stuff.
Put away imagination stuff.
Clean the various forts.
Dust.
Shake the rugs.
Vacuum.

Deeper
Wash sheets.
Steam clean.
Wipe down the door and light switch.
Sort some closet items.
Go through some of the various boxes and bins and shelves that contain certain categories.... like does the kitchen box have a bunch of puzzle pieces?  This is the time when I find all of my lip gloss in toy purses.  And right now my blue eye sandbag thing is missing and I KNOW it is in a toybox somewhere....

Deepest
Wash comforters.
Wash pillows.
Wash windows.
Empty closets/wipe/clean/declutter.
Paint.
Clean closet.