by Guest Blogger Kaitlin Krull
Making time for household chores can be difficult for even
the most motivated of us, but for those of us with children, it can feel like
an impossible task. If you struggle to finish a load of dishes, let alone clean
the bathroom, it might be time to rethink your cleaning routine. Thankfully,
over at Modernize
we’ve done some of the work for you. Here are a few ways you can get some of
the cleaning done around the house with the help of the kids. No, really. Take
a look!
Make your own
cleaning supplies
For the environmentally conscious family, traditional
cleaning supplies are a no-go when it comes to your household chores. Full of
toxins and harmful chemicals, these kinds of products are dangerous to both the
environment and your children. Thankfully, making your own cleaning supplies is
super easy and can be a task that you and your children complete together (who
doesn’t love a bit of chemistry?) when you get together to clean up the house.
With a couple of common household items and a few drops of essential oils, you
can make your own chemical-free cleaning products that work just as well as
their traditional counterparts.
Set a cleaning
schedule
If you’re even slightly type A, a regular cleaning schedule
that tells you which jobs to complete on which days (or weeks, or months) is a
must. Get the kids involved by including them in the cleaning lineup and
assigning them specific tasks. If this seems too complicated, why not make them
their own miniature schedule so they can keep themselves accountable for their
own toys, clothes, food, and self-care items. It will most likely take some
regular coaching at the beginning, but if you’re lucky your kids will take to
it easily and they just might help you cross a few things off your list.
Keep cleaning jobs
accessible
When you’re assigning cleaning duties for the family, make
sure you keep it accessible for everyone. While I’m sure this goes without
saying, it’s important to remember that your kids are, well, kids, and that
dangerous and tough jobs are best left to the grown ups. Smaller, more
manageable tasks such as sweeping and dusting are perfect for younger kids,
while tidying up toys and even light vacuuming are pretty simple as well. If
you really want to get everyone involved, consider investing in a few kid-size
cleaning tools such as a Dustbuster and shorter brooms to make the job as
straightforward as possible.
Give kids ownership
over tasks
In our home we live by this mantra: if it’s yours, it’s your
responsibility. While it’s not essential that you make a cleaning schedule for
your children, it helps immensely towards their sense of ownership over their
playthings. Whether or not you write it down, involving them in the regular
tidying and cleanup of their bedroom and playroom helps them to remember that
if something is theirs, they are responsible for its maintenance and upkeep.
With a little repetition, your kids will get the hang of it and quickly learn
how chores (even the boring ones) help to keep their things looking and working
their best.
Don’t forget the fun!
Just because you’re cleaning the house doesn’t mean it has
to be boring (easier said than done, I know). Keep your kids—and
yourself—interested with incentives, rewards, and games throughout the cleaning
process. Race to complete your respective cleaning tasks with a special snack
or a few minutes of screen time after the job is done (or whichever reward
suits you and your kids best). If you have more than one child working on
chores at the same time, set them a time limit or job goal and get a real game
started. You’ll be surprised at just how much gets done when a little
competition gets thrown into the mix.
