A MUM-OF-THREE has shared the genius hack she swears by for getting kids to tidy up their rooms in five minutes flat.
Mary has the added skillset of being a teacher , and has used her knowledge to help her come up with a clever way of encouraging her little ones when she’s faced with a messy room.
She explained in a video on her TikTok page that she also uses the hack in her classroom, to get her students to tidy up after themselves.
“The girls had a sleepover last night so they had some friends over and this is what we’re currently working with,” she said, panning the camera over the room.
“So it’s definitely not the worst it could possibly be, but still they need to tidy it, and they need to do it without arguments and in the quickest time possible.”
She said that the first thing you need is prizes – although these don’t have to be things you need to “spend loads of money on”, and can “just be little things around the house “.
“So I’ve got five prizes,” she said.
“I’ve got some sweets, I’ve got a voucher to get out of doing chores one day which they can use whenever they like.
“And I’ve got one hour with control of the remote control in my house – that is like gold dust!”
Each of the prizes relates to an object in the room, and if the person tidies that object up, they win the prize.
But the tidiers are completely unaware of which object is for which prize.
Mary then sets a five minute timer, and the kids then have to tidy up as much as they can in the shortest time possible.
Once the timer was up, and the room was tidy, Mary told her kids which prizes they’d won – with a Pringles carton, some books in the corner and a Barbie vehicle assigned to the first three prizes, of sweets.
Mary said that the no chores voucher was given to the person that tidied up the windowsill.
And she concluded the video by saying that the hour of having control of the remote goes to the “first child to offer to hoover up”.
“Easy hack to get your kids to tidy their bedroom! Works every time!” Mary captioned the video.
Many of the people commenting on the clip were grateful parents thanking Mary for sharing the clever hack.
“I used this this morning and it worked, thank you so much!!!” one gushed.
More parenting hacks
IF you want to make your life easier as a first-time mum, here's nine hacks you won't want to miss.
1. Routine Charts
Create visual charts for daily routines. Use pictures and stickers to make them engaging for younger children.
2. Meal Planning
Plan meals a week in advance to save time and reduce stress. Involve your children in meal prep to teach them cooking skills.
3. Toy Rotation
Keep a portion of toys stored away and rotate them periodically. This keeps playtime fresh and exciting without the need for constant new purchases.
4. DIY Cleaning Solutions
Make child-safe cleaning solutions using vinegar and baking soda. It’s effective and keeps harsh chemicals away from little hands.
5. Time-Out Jar
Create a time-out jar filled with calming activities written on slips of paper. When emotions run high, children can pick an activity to help them settle down.
6. Educational Apps
Utilise educational apps and websites to make screen time productive. Look for ones that offer interactive learning in subjects your child is interested in.
7. Command Centre
Set up a family command centre with a calendar, key hooks, and a bulletin board. It helps keep everyone organised and aware of daily schedules.
8. Emergency Kit
Keep a small emergency kit in the car with essentials like snacks, water, first aid supplies, and a change of clothes. It’s a lifesaver for unexpected situations.
9. Label Everything
Use labels for clothes, school supplies, and lunch boxes. It makes it easier to keep track of belongings, especially in shared spaces like schools.
“I’m definitely giving this a go with my girls,” another vowed.
“Such a good idea!”
“I’m going to try this with my boys – this is genius!” a third commented.
“So glad I’ve come across your page, loads of good ideas thank you!” someone else wrote.
“This is genius! I am totally doing this every evening in the front room!” another said.
