How to Encourage Kids to Help Houseclean

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You know your kids can make a mess. Just look at your living room! But how do you encourage kids that it's just as fun to clean up as is to mess up? Okay, it's true, nobody LIKES to clean up. But it can become bearable when there is a feeling of camaraderie in the house, and when the work the kids do is noticed and praised. A reward system works wonders. Here are some tips to get those kids helping out happily.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Step1

Start young. When your toddler wants to "help" with the laundry, encourage them to put their socks away in a drawer, or teach them to put their shoes in their closet. Give them a hug and a sticker for being a good helper!

Step2

Have a chart on the wall with a list of chores. Each week let the older children pick a chore they'd like to be responsible for all week. At the end of each week they receive an allowance.

Step3

Each child can have their own sticker chart for keeping their room neat. They get stars at the end of each day they keep it relatively neat. After they accumulate a certain number of stars, they get a big reward, like a movie, or a friend overnight, or something special to them. Children can receive extra credit stars for helping out in rooms other than their own.

Step4

Hide a couple of dollars or a small favorite candy in a room that needs to be cleaned up. Tell the kids they have to tidy up and look for the surprise.

Step5

Pick one day each week to play music loudly and let the kids clean one room the best they can from the start to finish of ONLY one song. Kids actually like this "Clean Up Music" game and will sometimes ask for another song!

Tips & Warnings

Encouraging kids to understand how a family supports each other - that picking their toys up out of your way as you sweep the living room makes is easier on you, and in turn gives you more energy to play a favorite game with them - teaches teamwork and caring.