How to Get Your Kids Involved With Chores

Its always a head ache to come home after working and find a mess you never made only to know you have to clean it up!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Small hand broom and dust pan
• Watered down cleaning solution in small spray bottle.
• Old socks (the socks do have to be clean)
• dish rags I use bar towels.

1. I have two children 4 and 14 I now home school but still hold a part time evening job, on a typical night I get in around 10:30PM and to my surprise I'm left with dirty dishes food still on the stove, crumbs on the floor from biscuits or splatters and a wound up 4 year old that jumped out of bed and tries to sak me before i get two feet inside the house. (his room is above the garage), "we should have put his room on the back side of the house"
   Ok so what now!!! Leave it for morning yell at everyone as they wake up only to find your NOT making breakfast, force the 4 year old back to sleep and make him scream and fight you until your both crying!!! NO WAY !!!

2. Get your supplies and make the most of what can be done, you need to come down from the hype at work anyway. Give your kid the small bottle with watered down cleaner, the small bottle is small enough for their hands and they love to help you clean!!
   Put on the socks let them choose to either wear the socks on their feet or hands, make sure you layer the socks, I suggest three pairs.
   show them the spots on the floor and let them have fun spraying and wiping how ever they want to. Don't forget to play the quiet game because others are sleeping.
   DIRTY DISHES - Prepare dish water, or reload the dish washer, Two ways to solved this one. Get someone to agree to do the chore of emptying the dish washer before they eat dinner, your family will be more willing to fill it after dinner if its empty. In my house before I go to work I actually Leave mine wide open so that everyone near the kitchen can see that dishes need to be put away.

3. use the small broom and dust pan for quick sweep up this is great when you only have a small section or a small spill.
   Its small enough for little hands. I suggest you store this broom and dust pan in a place where everyone can see it this way if someone has made a small sweep able mess they can quickly clean it up on their own.
   On the nights my preschooler is wound up I make us some hot tea or hot chocolate as a reward for the help.
   This is also a great time to bond wit him individually and talk about our days, I also make a quick list of the things I need my family to help me on for the following day, I write them down on sticky notes and stick them on the persons door I need help from, this is great for my 14 year old because I don't have to remember what i would like him to do and I don't have to repeat my self. he also does the chore with out complaining, I may even get to sleep in! Yeah RIGHT!!!

Tips & Warnings

• If the child is not doing the job you gave them the correct way just let it slide, give it to someone else, or teach them how you want them to do it by example. if you get upset they may never find cleaning a positive experience.

[almommabear]

on 12/17/2008 That's a great idea about the socks. I could see a little kid having fun with that!

[happeedaysee]

on 11/21/2008 check out my tips on how to get your children to pick up after themselves. You may like this idea as well and it works wonders for me!