I discovered, quite by accident, how to get my tweenager to thoroughly clean her room. I couldn’t believe all of the garbage that was cleared out. The surfaces were dusted, some for the first time in years (I had given up even trying to find those surfaces some years back)! Dishes I had forgotten even existed showed up in the dishwasher. Toys and clothes were collected for donation to the Goodwill and local church clothing closet. Nothing was shoved under the bed or dresser. All corners of the room were thoroughly vacuumed.
And it was all because I agreed to allow her to redecorate her room. New Ikea furniture and all.
Now how am I going to motivate her to keep her room clean?!
I think it’s going to have to be the old-fashioned, “if you don’t do it, there will be no allowance.”
"Most Likely to Succeed" 