Saturday morning means one thing to my kids: Mum's going to make us tidy our bedrooms. They'll do everything they can to get out of tidying their rooms but when it comes down to it, they'll end up obliging because there's no pocket money cash unless they do.
But according to the Telegraph, I might be doing the wrong thing by making the kids clean their bedrooms.
The paper reports:
But maybe it's the rest of the house that's the problem: according to recent research undertaken as part of Homebase's "life improvement" campaign, only 69 per cent of teenagers said they felt truly relaxed at home. That figure includes their own bedrooms, meaning that three in 10 don't feel they can unwind even in their own beds.
My heart sank when I read that. Call me a sucker for a clever news hook, but I hate the idea of my kids not feeling able to relax at home because of my hoovering obsession, or unwillingness to tolerate their rooms resembling some sort of science explosion.
Apparently, giving teens a 'third space' - a room dedicated to their use which isn't their bedroom - is one way of changing that. While on the one hand a den or teen hangout is a clever way of containing the mess that kids invariably make, it can also help them develop some independence, it seems.
We'd love to hear your views on this story, as we think it relates to younger kids as much as to teens. Do you have a 'third space' in your house such as a playroom or TV den for the kids?
And how do you feel about the idea that kids should be allowed to have messy bedrooms? Come and share your views on our Facebook page or leave us a comment below.
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