Is it a challenge or struggle everyday/week, to get you kid(s) to KEEP their rooms clean?

no because I don't worry about them keeping their room clean.

Not yet. He's six and as part of his chores, he has to clean up his room before going to bed. ...Don't know how that will work when he's a teen but would rather not think about that yet.

When I tell them to clean it they do that untill is done, nothing else will get done untill it is finished.

Nah.

I'm not all that strict about it. As long as it doesn't look like tornado hit, I let it be. I just ask that their beds be made when they're not in them, and that there's no trash [like ripped up coloring books LOL]. But when it's time to clean up they do it, no biggie.

Sometimes I just close the door (as did my parents with me)

I think it's unreasonable to think that a child finds cleaning a room to be a priority in life. I also think that if you think a child should be responsible for keeping it clean every day then you have some issues and should lighten up and enjoy life. Have fun. This is why adults have strokes and are sick all the time while kids have fun and are not stressed. As long as there is no food growing mold in the room, let it go. That's what weekends are for. They can clean it on the weekend then start all over again. Don't ruin every day of their life over something so insignificant in life. There is more to life than cleaning house. Get out and find out what it is

I have never been clean freak, but with five kids, 2 100 lb dogs, and a cat running around the house, it can get out of control really quickly if you let it. Here's how we teach personal responsibility in our house. When the kids do chores they get points. These points can be used to either earn a special treat, like a movie or a toy they have been wanting, or can be used in the monthly "auction" we have. Every night at 8 o'clock I go through the common areas of the house with a big basket. Any item left out, is put into the basket and each child has the opportunity to buy the item back with their points. Now, if they either don't have enough points, or another child decides to buy item, they are out of luck. If not bought, item goes back to basket. Items not auctioned off are given to a battered women and childrens shelter locally. We simply do not have clutter anymore, the kids are becoming very careful putting things away.

It's not an issue. When they were younger and didn't pick up their toys I threw everything left on the floor after cleanup time away (eventually the toys found their way back in to the toy box but it was months down the road and they were too little to realize that they'd been throw away). By the time they were 4-5 years old they knew that they should pick up their toys or they'd lose them. At 18 and 19 they have been keeping their rooms clean for a long while and they know what standards we have when it comes to their rooms. We don't have to tell them to keep them clean because they are always kept in order. It's a habit now. When they became school age they learned that if they didn't keep track of their school work/school papers then they were going to lose them to the trash. I don't save it if it's on the counter and they know that. As high school seniors they have day planners and keep track of their stuff.

Anon :21 here...my 18 and 19yo's are the youngest of 4. The older 2 are 22 and 23. i had 4 children in 5 years so it was necessary to get things organized and in control when they were little to keep the house from becoming a chaotic mess. My sons have all thanked me for keeping them organized because it has helped them in their lives as they have gotten older.

Anon :31-If you clean as you go (pick up your clothes, dust, make your bed, keep the floor clean, etc.) on a daily basis then you spend a few minutes a day keeping things in order and you don't have to spend HOURS on the weekend cleaning. IMO, THAT is a waste of time. I do the same chores every weekday in the house...dusting, bathroom, sweeping, mopping, change the bedding, clean the kitchen, etc.. I do dishes several times a day....whenever I go in to the kitchen I wash what's in the sink. On the weekends I don't clean AT ALL aside from doing dishes and laundry and it gives me all the time in the world to spend with my family. We all clean as we go...our clutter stays minimal because everything has a place and it goes right there.