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Emily Oster
Q&A on tidiness
Is having a messy house affecting my child? A normal mess, not hoarder-level.
–NT
There is absolutely no evidence that having a normal messy house is affecting your child. Obviously, if you get to the point where the house is seriously unclean — hoarder-level, with pest infestation — we would worry about things like mouse droppings and so on. But if you’re asking me whether having toys all over the living room and some clothes on the floor is going to be a problem, the answer is no.
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Isn’t there also evidence to suggest that allowing a child to have a messy area for themselves (section of room for example) leads to a more well adjusted adult? Rather than constantly asking them to clean up or keep things tidy? My aunt was an educator and cited a study done years ago an this but I don’t recall the exact details.