Teens seem to think that it’s still mom’s job to clean their bedrooms. That’s absolutely not the case. Teens tend to get defiant and lazy, for reasons parents will never understand. There are a couple of tactics you can use to get those teens to clean their bedrooms.

Take Away Electronics

For most teens, life revolves around technology and social networking. Most of these activities are accessed using electronics like cell phones, computer and gaming consoles. Your teens may just be a little more motivated to clean up their pig sty bedrooms if those items are taken away. The trick here is, don’t give the items back right away. Make them go without them for an entire day.

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They’ll likely display verbal frustration and have attitude problems. It’s no problem, just keep their favorite things a little longer and explain when they learn how to be a decent human being and act like a normal person they can have their things back.

Don’t Allow Extra Activities

Once you notice that your teens are not keeping their bedrooms maintained, it’s time to cut down on their social activities. School programs are fine, but until they can clean their room and keep it clean, there should be limited or no social activities outside of the home. The longer the teens are cooped up inside the house, the more likely they’ll be to keep their rooms clean.

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Of course, this is a bargaining exercise. Teens go through lazy and defiant phases. Explain to them that mom is NOT going to clean up after them and that they won’t have privileges until they understand how to maintain order in their personal space. Bribing teens with an allowance for maintaining their room is not the right approach either, because this space is something that needs to be kept tidy and organized without being “paid” to do it, it’s part of teaching responsibility.