How to Encourage Your Child's Participation in Keeping Your House Clean and Organized

If you are trying to work from home or have multiple children, it is imperative that each child learn to pitch in and help out at an early age. I am opposed to the mandatory assigning of chores at an early age. However, if you make it fun you will be amazed at how quickly your child is leading you around in their excitement to tackle the next choir.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Hand-held cordless vacuum
• Duster
• Organizational Shelving
• Child size tools

1. 
    

   VACUUM: I suppose it is possible there will be homes that do not get dirty enough to make this fun. But with our two dogs and two boys – one in his 40s – out house always has a lot of hair and dirt accumulating in corners. Purchase a small cordless vacuum and install it low enough your child can reach it at any time. Then when you are doing cleaning you prefer not to have help with, just ask them to get their vacuum and clean up the ____.
   
   A friend of mine purchased a stick vacuum instead, and her son vacuums the dining area each night as she makes super.
   
   A cordless vacuum is also great for training them to clean up their own messes. Many cordless hand-held vacuums pick up wet as well as dry ingredients. So they can suck up that spilled drink as well as the spilled popcorn.

2. 
    

   DUSTER: You can use a plain old feather duster or one with removable pads. Keep it down low so your child can gather it up when they are asked to and you don’t constantly have to get it for them. Make sure they understand that it must be returned to the same place or they can’t use it next time.
   
   You can just let them dust anything or point out what needs to be gone over. I have a great pattern for washable dust pads for the popular removable pad dusters. Check out the link at the bottom of the article for them.

3. 
    

   ORGANIZE THEIR TOYS: Teaching a child grouping and categories at an early age is excellent for their developing math skills. Teaching them to organize their toys keeps them out of the floor and reinforces that there is a place for everything, and when you are done playing with it you should put it back there.
   
   You can pick up small toy bin shelves at most Wal-Mart or Targets. However, if your child has a lot of toys you might want to look at the Container Store or Ikea for larger space options. You can also make them yourself . . . no one said they had to be pretty. I made one using a single sheet of plywood ($12) and free milk crates I got off of my local craigslist (www.craigslist.com).
   
   If your child is very young, you may find it useful to tape photos or drawings of what goes in each box to the outside to help them classify the items.

4. 
    

   ORGANIZE THEIR CLOTHES: Make finding and picking out their clothes more fun and children will be a lot more interested in doing it. I moved the handing rods in my son’s closet way down when we redid his room and added shelves for storage above them. Every time we do laundry we (and he helps) put all his shirts on one side and all his shorts/pants on the other. His underwear, PJs, and socks all have their own drawer in a small dresser. He loves helping hang everything up and picking out his own clothes.
   
   I keep his shoes on the shelves above his clothes were he can reach them and we leave a light weight laundry basket in his room for his dirty clothes. When I do laundry, I’ll have him bring it to me while I gather up the rest of the laundry in the house.

5. 
    

   UNDERBED STORAGE: If your child has a lot of VHS movies, computer games, Leap Frog cartridges/books, or anything they access a lot that takes up room you can store it under their bed in rolling storage containers.
   
   My son has a small TV/VCR combo in his room for “rest” time. Since we do not have cable he has about 100 movies. We purchased several under the bed storage containers and put the lids in the attic. Then we were able to store his movies with their spines up so he could see the photo/title. When it’s time to watch TV, he pulls out the baskets one at a time until he finds a move to watch and pushed them back. Much neater than the old over-running shelf thing we use to do.

6. 
    

   DOING DISHES: When filling the dishwasher my son will run around the house looking for dishes to bring me. When I unload, I’ll hand him light weight pans to put in the bottom cabinets for me. I can also get him down the silverware holder and let him sort and put them away for me – sans knives.

7. 
    

   CHILD SIZE MOPS AND BROOMS: My son has every type of broom, mop, and dust pan made for children. With a toddler, I find the push broom works best. Will is best at using his broom outside; on the sidewalk or cleaning off the deck or trampoline. He loves to help me mop though. While you sweep up a mess, let them hold the dustpan.

8. 
    

   TAKING OUT THE TRASH: I’ve made sure that most of the house has small trash cans in each room and we keep small bags on hand to fit in them. You can actually purchase trash cans made to hold recyclable grocery bags.
   
   Then when you are ready to take out the trash you child can pick up the entire bag from different rooms and bring it to you. When you carry the trash outside the house, let them carry a small bag.

9. 
    

   CLEANING WINDOWS: Purchase glass wipes, with no ammonia on them, and allow your child to wipe the glass in any low windows or doors. This can be fun if you have a dog or younger child that reapplies prints on a daily bases. Your child will soon be checking the glass far more often than you to see if they need cleaned again.

10. 
     

    TAKE IT OUTSIDE: Don’t stop the cleaning in the house, let them help outside too. Purchase a child size leaf rake and shovel. When you need to weed, move dirt, rake leaves, or just whatever, let your child help you.
    
    I recommend getting the real tools as the fake will not work. But keep these up and out of child’s reach so they can only be used under the supervision of an adult.
    
    Also, remember that keeping the world we live in as clean as our home and yard is an important lesson to teach your child. Don’t let them litter and encourage them to pick up and throw away things at the play ground or along the side of the road while you are walking.

11. 
     
    http://images.inmagine.com

    In conclusion, children are just small people. We like to feel needed and like we are accomplishing something. Allowing a child to help you as you go about your day will build their self-esteem and lay the groundwork for a more orderly, clean, and content adult. And never forget they will learn more from watching you than from what you try to teach them.

Resources

• Washable Duster Pattern

[igaday]

on 2/5/2009 This is a wonderful article! Thank you! We already do some of these, but now I have more ideas. =)