April's - Tip For Parents
From ISVI's Residential Services Department

Keeping Your Room Clean

As your child learns to become independent, he or she will need to learn to maintain a clean room. At some point, we all realize if we do not keep our room or house clean, no one will do it for us.

Most children will accept the responsibility of keeping their room clean if they are taught specifically how to do it and are checked on occasionally to make sure their standards have not dropped. Staff at the school and parents should reinforce the importance of keeping a room organized and clean. Some students will need hand-over-hand assistance while learning the skills, others will learn best with verbal instruction. None of us were born with organization and cleaning abilities and must be shown by example and given consistent, clear instruction on methods of organizing and cleaning.

Some specific areas to address with your child are: putting things in their proper place when finished with them, picking up and putting trash and papers in a trash can, taking the trash out of the can and replacing trash bags, making the bed, floor care, and dusting.

Children need to be shown where the cleaning supplies are kept, how to obtain and use them safely, how much to use and how you want the task completed.

When children meet our expectations of keeping their room clean, it is helpful to give them praise and recognition for their efforts.

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