Tricks to Get Your Kids to Help with a Quick-Clean of Your Home
by Lorraine Brock
Having an organized plan to get something done is the first step to making it happen. Without a plan, there is usually chaos and a series of sporadic tasks that rarely lead to completed projects. This scenario is true even for household chores.
Chores may not be fun, but they have to be done
Let’s talk today about how to teach kids the importance of being responsible and contributing members of their household and accepting chores that are appropriate. The truth is that for most kids, chores are not fun. Even adults do not necessarily enjoy chores, but at least we realize that if we do not wash the dishes, we will not be eating off of clean plates. Kids, on the other hand, would just use their fingers as utensils and the counter tops as plates!
Be consistent and follow up
Because chores are not classified in the “fun” category for kids, as a parent you have to purposefully teach them with consistency during their childhood years. Yes, I did say years, and that is where I probably just lost most of you. Consistency, consistency, and more consistency, is what teaches kids that they have responsibilities in the form of chores just for being a part of the family. Requiring them to accept their chores and seeing that they follow them through to completion is our job as parents.
Make chores a family event and assign clean up zones for everyone
One way to engage your kids is to make some chores a family event. An example might be to practice a quick-clean for times when company is coming over unexpectedly or you just want a no drama overall pickup of your home. Assign each member of the family a zone of importance, visible areas to pick up or clean when time is of the essence. For example, Zone 1 might include kitchen counters, dining room, and table; Zone 2, family room and playroom; and Zone 3, entry/stairs and guest bathroom. When you give the signal that company is coming or you have had enough of family clutter, everyone should be prepared to do their part.
Make it a game
Another idea that makes doing chores fun for kids is turning clutter pick-up into a timed game. You can, of course, play this game until they catch on that it is really work. The object of the game is to have each child gather clutter in a set period of time. Give each child a pillowcase or laundry basket and set a timer for one to three minutes. The child who collects the most items and puts them away in the time allotted gets to pick out the afternoon snack or grab from the Dollar Store Goodie Bag. Think of prizes that are low cost but keep them motivated to play the game.
Take it from the mom of three boys – teaching children to be responsible for chores is hard work and many times it may seem easier to do it yourself. Know that if you do a good job, one day you will have your kids doing your housework for you…for FREE!
If you want to use a more traditional chore organization system, here are a couple of websites for creating chore charts. www.ChartJungle.com and http://www.dltk-cards.com/.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7V1DukBEig&feature=youtu.be
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Lorraine Brock is a professional organizer, family coach, speaker, and founder and owner of Get Organized! Get Organized! is a professional organizing company in the Dallas, Texas area. Get Organized! specializes in organizing and de-cluttering homes as well as implementing systems in the home for better family management. A popular media guest, Lorraine has appeared on Dallas’ two top morning television shows: Good Morning Texas and Good Day Fox, and has been featured on various radio outlets. She has been hallmarked in many local, regional, and national print and online magazines, such as the Dallas Morning News, The North Texas Kids Magazine, SheKnows.com, and Daily Candy Kids. To get more information about Lorraine, visit www.GetOrganized.ws.
