As we draw nearer to the end of summer and we begin to get into back to school mode, I can’t help but think about how big of a mess my house is and how much I have to do! That back to school frenzy is about to get as real as it gets. We recently read a great book that I used to introduce my kids to the idea of cleaning, organizing, and too much stuff. However, it is never too early (or too late) to teach organizing skills to your kids.

Cami Kangaroo Has Too Much Stuff! By Stacy C. Bauer is a friendly, useful and humourous story about teaching children to tidy up, organize and take good care of their belongings (and those of others). In the story, Cami Kangaroo needs to clean her room before she can go to a birthday party, but she has so much stuff that she doesn’t know where to start. As Cami cleans her room, she remembers that she needs to return a stuffed puppy she borrowed. As Cami searches for the stuffed puppy, she makes an even bigger mess all while finding some of her favorite things that she had forgotten about in her big mess! Will Cami be able to tidy up her room and find her stuffed puppy in time for the party?

If your kiddos are like mine, then you know that children dread cleaning and organizing more than anything! Just yesterday I asked my daughter to clean her room, and I could have sworn I watched her walk up to her room as if I had just given her a life sentence. Typically, most children refuse to clean their room because they don’t want to. It is often more exciting to do something else, like watch TV or play outside. 

If cleaning rooms is a battle for your kids, here are a few strategies you can try:

1. Divide and Conquer
The divide and conquer method can be very helpful to help your child overcome a messy room. It can be beneficial to divide the room into quadrants and have your child work on one-quarter of the room at a time. Or having them focus on one item at a time. Breaking a large task down into smaller jobs can be helpful for any child, especially younger children.

2. Use task-oriented consequences
In Cami Kangaroo Cami has too much stuff!, Daddy Kangaroo tells Cami that she needs to clean her room before they head out to Savannah’s party. Task-oriented consequences is an excellent way to hold your child accountable for completing tasks. If you put a privilege on hold until they complete a specific task, they will be more likely to be motivated. Using consequences and rewards will help him learn the desired behavior over time.

3. Give “hurdle help”
Young children may need some help getting started cleaning their room as it can be a very overwhelming task. Just as Daddy Kangaroo did in the story, it is okay to spend 15 – 30 minutes in the room with your child, where you can show them the steps required to complete the task of cleaning their room. I have found that I have better success with my kids when I spend time with my kids before them starting to clean as it allows me to show them what my expectations are of a clean room.

My daughter loved Cami Kangaroo Has too Much Stuff! By Stacy C. Bauer. Having too much stuff and cleaning their room is something that my kids struggle with as well. Having a story that is relatable to them makes the story fun, and is very helpful. I also loved that the story included useful tips at the end of the story too! Don’t forget to check those out! 

This book is as always illustrated gorgeously. I love all of the details in the illustrations, including how the illustrator hides the first book in the Cami Kangaroo  and Wyatt Too series in the closet full of stuff. As well as how the illustrator shows how the time passes as Cami cleans her room with the clock.