“Chores are fun!” said no child ever. With summer break just beginning, your kids are going to be spending lots more time at home. Every parent knows that more time at home means more opportunities for mess making. So, how do you pull your kids away from their video games, neighborhood hangouts, and endless playtime to do the thing they dread the most: chores? Here are a few tips on how to encourage – and maybe even get kids excited about – cleaning!
Use Fun Tools
Why not use cleaning tools that feel more like toys? Tools like the Libman Big Feather Duster, Libman Lint Roller, or Libman Freedom® Spray Mop can be exciting for kids to use. These are such user-friendly cleaning tools that it is easy for most to successfully clean with them.
Shrug It Off
It’s important to remember that messes are inevitable, and some days you’ve just got to Embrace Life’s Messes. Remind toddlers that it’s okay to spill, accidents happen. It’s normal. But make the rule that if they spill, they must sweep it up right away. Keep the Libman Precision Angle® Broom and Libman Dustpan somewhere easily accessible to your little ones.
Play Dress Up
In an article on Parents.com, writer and editor Madonna Behen says, “Kids 5- and 6-years-old love to role play.” Create a character that loves to clean, and then dress them for the part with a hat, apron, and Libman Rubber Gloves.
Lead by Example
Instilling a good work ethic is important, as is showing your kids that you are not asking them to do something you are not willing to do yourself. Cleaning shouldn’t be seen as a punishment, it’s something that everyone benefits from and can contribute to. Cleaning side-by-side and providing encouragement can help them actually get excited to clean! Create a routine that your kids can see, like cleaning first thing in the morning or right before bedtime. Hopefully, instead of ignoring your efforts, they will ask if they can pitch in, too. There are no sweeter words than hearing, “Mom and Dad, can I help you?”
Turn Housework Into a Game
You probably don’t think of cleaning a fun activity. Well, neither do your kids. Put a timer on a chore and see if you and your kids can beat the clock. Once they are finished, have them race to ring a bell or buzzer. Make sure they know that, while cleaning fast is nice, quality is best, and having the right tool for the job makes it easier to clean better.
Help Them Out
Cleaning up a mess may feel like a huge task to somebody with little hands. Sometimes kids just need a little extra help to get them going, so they can finish the task. Pitch in at first and then let them finish the task themselves. You can also use this as a teaching moment and explain why cleaning is important to your family and how much everyone appreciates when everyone helps out.
Get Creative
Develop a story about a character that steals toys if they’re not picked up before bedtime. Carrie, a blogger for Crafty Moms Share, came up with the Toy Fairy. “The Toy Fairy visits each night. She is a fairy that loves toys but does not have any of her own. She is not allowed to take toys that are put away, but if they are left out, she thinks they are for her.” You can also name your cleaning tools, Shaggy the Tornado Mop, Bristle the Precision Angle Broom for example. Making cleaning tools into personalities and friends makes using them exciting and fun.
Connect Chores to a Song
From Mary Poppins to Barney, there are many famous cleanup songs. Why not create your version of that everyone can sing? Or even pick a song to play that signals it’s cleanup time. When the song is over so are the chores.