The Brilliant Trash Bag Method for Tidying Up My Child’s Room

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You know what really gets under my skin? Repeatedly telling my kids what to do and having them completely ignore me. I swear there must be some scientific research out there that says moms’ nagging helps kids improve, but at my place? Not a chance. So, I decided it was time to take control.

For the past month, my 7-year-old and I have been in a stalemate regarding his room. It’s a chaotic mix of Samurai action figures, origami projects, puzzles, dirty socks, comic books, and who knows what else, all sprawled out across the floor, hiding under the bed, crammed into the closet, and stuffed into dresser drawers. His room is a total wreck, and I’m not cleaning it. At 7, he’s more than capable of putting his toys away.

Is this a common struggle for other parents?

After exhausting every tactic in the book—nagging, bribing, trying to make cleaning a “fun” activity, and even having a family discussion about personal responsibility—I was out of ideas. Then one evening, while scrolling through social media, I stumbled across a hilarious post by a well-known dad blogger who suggested cleaning a child’s messy room with a trash bag. Brilliant, I thought.

I grabbed a trash bag from the kitchen, set the oven timer for 30 minutes, and called up to my son, “Hey! You have 30 minutes to clean your room! If it’s not cleaned up, I’ll come up and toss everything into a trash bag, and you won’t see it again!”

Silence.

I called out again. “Do I need to come up there?!”

Finally, he responded, “Mooom! I don’t wanna clean my room!”

“Time’s ticking, kiddo! Get moving!”

The next 29 minutes felt like an eternity. I could hear him stomping around up there and muttering under his breath, but I was committed to my plan. No child of mine would live in a pigsty while disregarding all the chances I’ve given him to clean up on his own.

When the timer went off, I announced, “Okay, time’s up! Here I come!” It was like a twisted game of hide-and-seek, only instead of giggling kids, I was on a mission to gather up everything I could find to stuff into the trash bag and teach my son a lesson.

Entering his room was like stepping into a war zone—stuff everywhere.

In less than three minutes, the bag was so stuffed it was about to burst. Fun fact: those Legos? They hurt like hell on bare feet and can pierce through a plastic bag easily.

My child wailed about how unfair I was being, lamenting the terrible state of his life. He even threatened to run away to his best friend’s house. But once the tears dried, we had a heart-to-heart about responsibility and taking care of our prized possessions. After that, he even helped me finish tidying up his room. He wasn’t thrilled, but he was cooperative. We washed windows, vacuumed, organized those messy dresser drawers, and returned books to the shelves.

By the end, we struck a deal: if he could keep his room clean for two weeks without my reminders, he could earn back his belongings. When the time was up, we sorted through the treasures that had been stashed away for two weeks, and he found proper spots for everything.

It’s been a few weeks, but so far, this has been the most effective lesson on room cleaning my son has ever learned. He knows what will happen if his room turns into a stinky mess again, and he definitely doesn’t want to see me standing in his doorway with a big black trash bag.

Here’s hoping this lesson sticks.

For more insights on parenting and tips for managing family life, check out our other posts, including one about at-home insemination kits, which you can find at this link. If you’re curious about the success rates of such methods, this excellent resource can provide valuable information.

Summary:

In a humorous recount, a frustrated parent shares their experience of dealing with a messy child’s room. After attempts at negotiation fail, they implement the “trash bag” strategy, giving the child a time limit to clean or face having their toys thrown away. This method ultimately leads to a discussion about responsibility and results in a more organized room.