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

home insemination Kit

You know what really gets under my skin? When I repeat the same instructions to my kids endlessly, and no amount of reminding seems to make a difference. I could swear I read some research suggesting that when moms nag their kids, it leads to better compliance. Well, that’s not the case in my house. So, I decided to take control.

For the last month, my 7-year-old son and I have been locked in a struggle over his bedroom, which has turned into a chaotic zone filled with action figures, paper airplane experiments, puzzles, laundry, comic books, and who knows what else scattered across the floor, hiding under his bed, and stuffed into his closet. His room was an absolute mess, and I was adamant that he should be the one to clean it up; at 7, he’s definitely old enough to put his toys back where they belong.

Do other parents go through this too?

After exhausting all options from bribery to transforming cleaning into a “fun” game, and even hosting a family discussion about personal responsibility, I ran out of ideas. Then one evening, while scrolling through social media, I stumbled upon a hilarious post from a well-known dad blogger who suggested using a trash bag to tackle the mess in kids’ rooms. I thought, “That’s absolutely genius!”

I headed to the kitchen and grabbed a trash bag. Setting the oven timer for 30 minutes, I hollered up the stairs to my son, “Listen up! You have 30 minutes to clean your room! If you don’t pick up all the toys, books, and laundry from the floor, I will come up there and put everything in this trash bag, and it will be gone for good!”

I waited and heard silence.

“Hey! Do I need to come up there?” I shouted again.

His reply was a drawn-out, “Mooommm! I don’t wanna clean my room!”

“Time’s running out! Get moving, kiddo!”

Those next 29 minutes felt like an eternity. I could hear him stomping around, and I imagined him muttering complaints. But I was determined; I would not let my child live in such disorder while ignoring all the chances I had given him to manage his own space.

When the timer finally rang, I announced, “Alright! Time’s up. Here I come!” It felt like a twisted game of hide-and-seek, but instead of looking for giggling kids, I was on the hunt for anything I could toss into the trash bag to teach my son a lesson.

Upon entering his room, I was greeted by an overwhelming sight—stuff everywhere! It took me less than three minutes to fill that bag to the brim, threatening to burst open, especially with those pesky Legos that always manage to jab at your feet.

My son cried, accusing me of being unfair. He lamented about how terrible his home was and even threatened to run away to stay with his friend down the street. But once he calmed down, we had a heart-to-heart about responsibility and caring for the things we love. Together, we tackled the rest of the room, washing windows, vacuuming, organizing dresser drawers, and returning books to the shelves.

In the end, we struck a deal: if he could keep his room clean for two weeks without me reminding him, he could earn back the items I had packed away. When the time came, we sifted through the contents together, and he found proper places for all his treasures that had been tucked away.

So far, this has been the most effective lesson in room cleanliness my son has experienced. He now knows what happens if his room turns into a disaster zone again, and he definitely doesn’t want me showing up at his door with a hefty trash bag.

Let’s hope this lesson sticks!

If you’re interested in more parenting insights, check out this blog post on home insemination. It’s filled with useful tips! And for those looking into artificial insemination, Make a Mom offers great resources and kits. Additionally, the CDC provides excellent information on pregnancy and home insemination.

In summary, I found a creative way to encourage my son to take responsibility for his room by implementing a trash bag method. It turned out to be an effective lesson that might just stick.