(Image Credit: Apartment Therapy)
Your house is covered in toys, and you want them cleaned up in a hurry. Get the kids involved, and you’ll not only have a great time, you’ll be teaching them responsibility.
Race against the clock
On your mark! Get set! GO!! Have the kids clean up their toys as quickly as they can. Hand them a basket to collect their toys and make it clear that the toys must be put away in their proper spots in order for them to win. They’ll move quicker than you’ve ever seen them move. If they all manage to pick up all of their toys, and put them away, reward them with an extra 15 minutes of TV time, a healthy snack, or Mommy and me time. The rewards are free, but they will mean the world to your child. Remember, praise is the biggest reward to a child.
Funny Puppet
You can give a child of almost any age, a fun way to dust. Grab an old pair of socks, and slide it on your child’s hand. Pretend it’s a puppet, and make silly jokes about “Dusting the TV with it’s face”. The goofier the comment, the better. This will help to show your child you can still have fun while taking care of responsibilities. (Plus, the sock puppet duster, is pretty funny)
Cleaning Dance Off
My girls think this is the best thing since sliced bread! We sit down and make our “To Do” list. I make sure they both have the same amount of projects (to be fair). Then we pick out a CD. We turn up the tunes, and dance while we clean! They jump, and spin, all while cleaning up the bookshelf. We take little 10 second breaks, to meet up in the middle of the room, and dance. This not only keep the kiddos motivated, it’s a GREAT workout!
Let them be part of organizing their room
I know, as Moms (and Dads), it’s easy to take over when organizing your child’s rooms. When you let them pick the area to store certain toys, they will always remember where it goes. Remember, kid’s rooms are supposed to be functional to the kids, not just a sweetly decorated room in the house.
Like I mentioned about, cleaning with kids, isn’t all about the cleaning, it’s about teaching responsibility. A child as young as 1 can easily learn to help clean up. Encourage and praise them, and they’ll always be happy to help out.