Getting your family involved when trying to maintain a clean and tidy home, is vital, and not just the adults. Without the support and input of the grown-up members of the household and the kids, it will be hard for you alone to keep on top of things, and before you know it, your home will begin to resemble a bombsite.
Begin by sitting down with your family and talking about how you want them to help you to keep their home tidy, and remind them that it’s their responsibility too. Very small children or elderly adults may of course not be able to contribute much, but even the act of vocalising your displeasure at having a dirty or messy home, will make you feel as if a weight has been lifted off your shoulders. If you have a good, supportive family, then the adults will empower the children and help them to keep things clean and tidy, collectively.
Here are 5 tips for cleaning with your kids:
- Playtime must have rules
You don’t have to spoil their fun, but you must make them understand that when they have finished playing with something, it needs to go back where they found it before they get the next toy or game out of the toy box (and toy boxes are very handy for throwing miscellaneous items into when you have unexpected guests!
- Clear play zones and toy storage areas
It might be fun for your kids to play all over the house, but this will only encourage them to be messy and leave clutter lying around. Allocate a play zone to them and then clearly label an area or boxes, so that they know where their play items must go when they’ve finished with them.
- Make cleaning fun
I know this sounds like the impossible, but you’d be surprised how enjoyable cleaning can be with the addition of some party tunes! Music that you know your kids enjoy listening to – and which is likely to make them feel good – should be blasting out while they perform their chores and if they take a couple of minutes out for a quick shimmy, then so be it!
- Make sure that they clean properly
What’s the point in enlisting the help of your kids to clean, if you need to go behind them and redo it all? Try to teach them the meaning of cleaning something properly, and how they can achieve it. Reward them for their efforts, and you might even find them offering to help you clean!
- Allow them to judge their cleaning efforts
Let your kids take turns at being ‘cleaning inspectors’, and allow them to judge theirs (and your own), cleaning efforts. Let them reprimand each other (politely and in a fun way!) if they find that a job hasn’t been completed to their satisfaction, and they will love the feeling of responsibility that has been given to them. This should also instill a sense of pride in them.
The above list is by no means exhaustive, and once you begin getting your kids involved in keeping your home clean and tidy, you may develop some new methods and techniques of your own. Good luck and happy cleaning!