3.5 hours to clean Rebecca's bedroom

As a mom, I try very hard to teach my kids to clean their own rooms and to take care of their things. Sometimes this works and sometimes this doesn't, especially when I don't stay on top of things. 

That was the case in Rebecca's room. She is supposed to do a good, thorough cleaning of her bedroom at least once a week. Well....I haven't been reminding her and she has had some playdates thrown in there and last week I looked at her room and I saw this.....

Rebecca has the smallest bedroom in our rental. It is an L shape and really is very small with no closet at all. (We store all of her dresses and things that hang up in the closet off of the bathroom.) Her bed is a daybed that will only fit pushed up against the door without obstructing the window. I was appalled that her room was that messy. I told her that I was going to do a big clean out of her room before the Fourth of July.... and that is just what I did. 

The morning of the 4th, I took a box of trash bags to her room and began the process of sorting, cleaning, throwing away trash, etc. I cleaned out her art bins that are stored under her bed and just decluttered and cleaned. It took me 3 and 1/2 hours to do this tiny room! I ended up with 2 lawn and leaf bag size trash bags full of trash to throw away! Rebecca's room ended up looking like this when I was done....

So much cleaner and neater. Rebecca loves it; it is like she got a new room. She has been spending a lot more time playing in her room and has kept it nice and clean for the most part. She even had a play date with a friend last week and the friend was astonished at the difference in her room. 

I told Rebecca when I was done that if her room ever got to be that messy again, that I was going to take everything out of her room, except for her bed and she would be allowed 3 outfits to wear and nothing else would be left in her room. I think she understands that her room can't get that way again.....and I have been more diligent in reminding her to put her clothes away in the right drawers and to clean up before bed each night. I hope she and I can keep up the cleanliness!