Cleaning Up a Messy Room: A Roundup
Organizing and cleaning don’t come easily to ADHD kids. But these three children’s books — about messy, chaotic rooms — may inspire some results.
“Clean your room!” Both of my children cringe at this directive. Aaron will do it if he has to. Natalie… well, Natalie has ADHD. Organizing the stuff in her room is a bigger challenge.
While searching for the magic how-to, I stumbled upon some charming “how-not-to’s.”
Too Many Toys
by David Shannon
Spencer has so many toys that they’ve become a household hazard. When Spencer’s mom decides to reduce his collection, negotiations ensue.
Read this oh-so-true story to find out which toy Spencer deems non-negotiable.
Super-Completely — and Totally the Messiest
by Judith Viorst
Olivia is very neat, but her little sister, Sophie, is The Messiest!
She’s messy at home, she’s messy at school. (Just like my Natalie.) After she cleans up a room, it’s messier than before! (Just like my Natalie.) You can’t help but love Sophie. Just like my Natalie.
What’s with this Room?
by Tom Lichtenheld
Why do kids with ADHD insist on hoarding items most of us see as junk? In What’s with this Room? the narrator demonstrates what smelly, nasty purpose each mess serves. But when his scientific experiment blows up in his face, he decides his next project will be to clean his room.
