One really challenging element of being a parent is managing a household full of people and keeping it in reasonable order. It can be tempting sometimes to throw your hands up and resign yourself to messes. And, truthfully, there are times when that is the way to go. But as a regular habit, it’s helpful to have some practices in place that keep the household environment inviting, reduce stress and help your children develop good habits they can take with them into adulthood.
Chores
dusting, bathrooms (mirrors, countertops, sinks, toilet, bathtub/shower), vacuuming, mopping, and kitchen cleaning
I firmly believe that all household members (toddlers and up) should have a role in keeping the house. A good place to start with this is by making a list of the jobs to be done and then noting which family members are capable of doing each job. This can help you determine age-appropriate cleaning contributions for each person.
Once you have that information, you can either assign tasks to each person or post the list and ask each family member to sign up for his or her share of the tasks. Personally, if your kids are old enough, I recommend the second option. It can really make a difference in creating a team spirit and helping the family members take ownership of the jobs they do.
You may want to color code the tasks to indicate the large, medium, and small jobs. Then, you could ask each person to sign up for one or two of each. It will also make sense to split some jobs into smaller tasks. For instance, rather than just listing “dusting,” you may have three or four separate areas of dusting on the list.
A lot of families like to create a chore routine that is predictable. This has the advantage of letting people get really good and efficient at certain jobs and also accurately predict how much time to set aside for their tasks. If you take this approach, a chore chart can be helpful. On the chart, you can either assign individual chores or zones of the house, with the person assigned to a particular zone completing all the chores in that area.
Chore charts do a great job of clarifying expectations and ensuring everything gets done. Plus everyone gets the satisfaction of crossing their items off the list. Who doesn’t love that!
Even if you have an established chore routine, it’s good to plan on rotating the chore assignments periodically so no one gets stuck with the “worst” chores and all children learn to do all the chores. And always try to ensure the chore assignments are well balanced, with all family members contributing their share.
Children too young to handle any chores on their own can be paired with an older child or adult to get a job done. It may take the cleaning mentor longer to do the task, but the investment is worthwhile. The little one can start developing new skills while also learning the importance of pitching in and enjoying the feeling of being included as a member of the team.
Especially if you have little ones cleaning, make sure you are using cleaners that are safe. Diluted white vinegar works well (one part vinegar to two parts water) on many surfaces and is nontoxic! I use it for countertops, cabinets, and windows all throughout the house. I like to add a few drops of essential oils – especially tea tree or peppermint, which repel the pesky little ants that get in the house sometimes.
I recommend revisiting expectations as needed. Your children’s standards of cleanliness may be quite a bit below your own. It’s good to periodically observe or inspect their work and retrain as needed.
Special cleaning projects
Deep cleaning floors, windows, blinds, baseboards, etc.
Apart from the regular cleaning, children can also participate in the special cleaning projects that arise throughout the year.
It’s important to respect your children’s time and give them plenty of advanced notice about any extra jobs you have for them. If you can also give them some flexibility about when the extra job gets done, that’s great. For instance, if you are planning some spring cleaning, and you’d like your middle schooler to take on the blinds on the upstairs windows, you can let him know about the task he’s assigned and ask him to get it done within the next two weeks. Just make sure you don’t spring it on him on a Saturday when he’s already looking forward to social plans, other planned tasks, or even a chance to relax. The way we lead the family team goes a long way toward making the members feel loved and respected. It also helps train them to become kind and respectful leaders themselves.
Daily tasks
Your children may have a daily routine that includes brushing their teeth, straightening up the bathroom, making their bed, and making their room neat. There may also be an end-of-the-day clean-up as well as little tasks throughout the day – such as putting away toys they’ve used and cleaning their dishes after meals.
Summer is a good time to shore up those daily routines, train your children on a couple of new skills, and add to their list of responsibilities as they mature into new capabilities.
Closing Thoughts
Remember that a small mess quickly leads to a big mess. It’s much easier to nip a growing mess in the bud.
On a busy day when things have kind of deteriorated and there just isn’t time to fully restore order to the house, a quick ten-minute clean-up with everybody contributing can make a surprisingly big difference. I remember days when I would look around and just feel discouraged by what seemed like a giant job waiting to be done right when my energy was at its lowest. On those evenings, we would set a timer, turn on some music and all get as much done as we could before the timer went off. We were always pleasantly surprised by what a dent we’d made in the disorder!
Household cleaning provides an opportunity to help your child understand the importance of working together and of being an asset to the team. This goes way beyond making daily life flow well and actually builds their character. It even reinforces spiritual truths such as considering others and being grateful. This is no small thing! Moms and dads, let’s make the most of it!
Check out Savvy's post about growing your child's life skills!
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