How to Get Your Kids to Help with Spring Cleaning
With spring just around the corner you will need to clean up your home after the cold winter months. So why not have your kids help you in this task? It may seem like a strange solution to some, but kids can help quite a lot if they are given the task in the form of a game where they can have fun. You can assign them tasks based on what they can do and then give them appropriate rewards. With their help you’ll be able to tackle the responsibility of cleaning while helping them understand how things are done and teaching them discipline under the form of a game. They will learn to collaborate and act independently from you while you deal with other tasks.
Music as a fuel
As we all know music can make us move faster, enjoy our days better and overall bring joy into our lives. Putting up something upbeat and nice will be the perfect setting for cleaning. Using this can help your kids enjoy the act of cleaning. You can combine this with a game of “wax museum” if they are small. Have them freeze when the music stops and reward them later for being good at it.You will hear a lot of giggles and will stumble into funny situations.
Collecting loose items
Have the kids help you collect all the pieces of clothes laying around so they can be washed. Have them look for any loose change around the house as a small treasure hunt. Ask them to put away their toys and to find something specific you need at the moment.
Collect dust bunnies
Although they are really not that cute at all, dust bunnies are something that occurs in any house. They are the collection of dust and hair that clumps up into little balls and more in corners, under beds and so on. Have your kids run around the house looking for them and collecting them. There are some kid safe vacuum cleaners, if you are interested I’ll share some vacuum reviews below. Getting them a kiddy vacuum cleaner will give them something to do and they’ll get to it fast.
Sorting
Ask them to help you sort through laundry, socks and the like. Call it the “matching game” or something similar and teach them how to fold clothes, put away toys and other belongings. Have them put away all books and let them read to you while you listen, turning the roles of parent and child for a bit.
Downsize items
Consider the possessions you don’t need anymore and find ways to donate them to charity, thrift stores or other similar places. This will open up valuable space and at the same time your kids can decide whether some of their toys are outdated. If they are long past the baby stage and you don’t think you’ll have other kids maybe its a better idea to donate baby or toddler toys to free up space.
Expired food
You can have the kids look through the fridge taking care of all the items that need to be addressed. If they are within a reasonable age they should be able to take care of it with ease.
[About the author: Stella Benett is a 32 years old passionate blogger and freelancer but before all she is a lovely mother and wife. As every housewife Stella has no free time and often does a lot of things at the same time.]