It’s no secret, teenagers have a hard time keeping their room organized. Hopefully, with these tips, you’re teenage daughter will find the motivation.
Before we talk about how to organize a room, perhaps we should take a little time to explain why it’s essential to do so.
A tidy bedroom can change your life.
Cleaning and organizing a cluttered room is an important habit to develop in early adulthood because of the psychological benefits it can bring. William McRaven, a US Navy Admiral, said making the bed was the most important thing a person can do in the morning. In his opinion, bedmaking was the accomplishing of the first important task of the day; something that would then give him the courage to go on and complete other tasks.
The psychologist Jordan Peterson also stressed that room organization was a way to “get your house in order!” This quote was borrowed from the Bible — showing that such an organization even has deeply rooted spiritual importance. Without “getting your own house in order,” Peterson reckoned, one cannot expect to go out and hope to organize other things in daily life. For example, should the teenager who cannot clean their own bedroom be a voice to be listened to at a climate change protest? Does that not then make the teenager a hypocrite?
Moreover, there is a least one study that shows a positive correlation between room organization and exercise. Meaning your daughter is more likely to look after her body if she looks after the way her possessions are kept in check.
The psychological effect
The reason such a seemingly simple thing as the organization one’s room is so powerful is due to a psychological phenomenon called priming. By keeping the bedroom in check, we are in effect, clearing our minds of the clutter, giving ourselves more focus, and rewarding ourselves chemically for our efforts.
Proper room organization is a fundamental trick to learn in early adulthood. As it can set the stage for a line of thinking that can go on to encourage success in later life. And it doesn’t have to be complicated if the initial attempt at tackling a cluttered room seems daunting.
Keeping a bedroom tidy is easy. You just have to conquer it.
If there has been no prior attempt, your teenage daughter’s room might well be a mess. But after one clean up, keeping on top of it is easy. The first thing to do is sit down with your teenager and ask her what each part of her room means to her.
For example, she may have a spot where she likes experimenting with makeup; a place where she likes to try on (and toss) clothes; a place where she reads or keeps sentimental items. Discovering these spots is another essential psychological battle to be won early. If during exam times, she has a spot where she can think “right, this is where I will study for the next hour,” the chances are she will.
Free up more space in her room
After this is a step referred to as killing your darlings. The phrase has its origins in screenwriting, where a screenwriter is forced to dispose of an excellent plot contrivance because it does not fit in the script he is writing. By killing your darlings, you will be throwing away items that you feel you need, but know you don’t really. This can even free up more space in the room — such as a sitting area to encourage reading. But it makes its impact most in wardrobes. Often early adulthood is a period of frenzied change and growth in body shapes and in attitude. There is very likely a lot of items of clothing that your teenager no longer needs, and that might serve others better (in the form of a charity bag).
Create a memory box
For the more sentimental items, it’s best to create a memory box. Often these take the form of a chest and are usually overflowing with photographs, concert tickets, meaningful magazines and cards, and so on. A large box will contain the teenager’s life paraphernalia and keep it from spilling out into the room.
Clear the study area
Next would be the delineation of the desk into two’ spheres of influence’. Most teenage girls only have one desk in the room. The likelihood is there’s a battle for dominance on its surface — that of makeup brushes versus highlighter pens and pencils. The idea here is to tidy the desk into two clear sides: a makeup side, and a study side. By keeping the desk organized in such a way, your teenage can effectively ‘choose’ which mind-set she wants to be in before sitting at the desk.
The power of new habits
Other tips involve making new habits, which can be tough but far from impossible. Habits like remembering to take the washing down, and any dirty plates and food, as soon as they appear in the room. It might take some brain-wrangling in the early stages but will soon become second nature.
Conclusion
Furthermore, remember! Don’t forget to make your bed in the morning. The bedroom is a psychological battlefield. There’s no way it cannot be, given how much time a teenager grows and matures inside its four little walls. It’s time to use it to yours and your teenager’s advantage.
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To get the best insights and tips to create an Instagram worthy kid’s room, I have read more than 200 blog post, look at (almost) every single kid’s room images on Pinterest and ask my friends or others parents. From all their insights and my own experience, I’ve built those list of the perfect pieces of furniture, wall art, and decor items for your kid’s room.