If you’ve tried asking, begging, and bribing your kids to clean up around the house with little progress, you are not alone. Parents have struggled forever to get their children involved in house cleaning. No matter how old your children are, it can be difficult to encourage them to clean up and help with household chores.
We’ve rounded up the top tips to get your kids to clean up around the house. Keep reading for practical ways to get the whole family involved when it comes to cleaning up.
Declutter on a Regular Basis
Before you can even start cleaning up, it is important to declutter. Toys, clothes, and games pile up before you know it, making it incredibly hard to keep your space clean. Kids can also get overwhelmed if their space is cluttered or they have a lot of items to keep clean in their room. Set a regular cadence for decluttering to make the process more manageable. If your kids are old enough, they can get involved by choosing which items to donate.
Start the Process Young
Your toddler may not be able to use a mop or broom, but they can practice putting toys in a bin. The earlier you can teach these habits, the more routine they will become. Determine which tasks are age-appropriate for your child and start making those part of your normal routine.
Make Cleaning Part of the Routine, NOT a Punishment
Kids often see cleaning as a punishment because it is not something they want to do. Any of us would rather do something fun than clean up, so it’s understandable that kids dislike the process. It is also easy for parents to fall back on cleaning tasks as a form of punishment. However, this will only make it harder to get your kids to clean up. It’s best to make cleaning a normal part of your day instead of an unwanted punishment.
Teach the Importance of Cleaning
As your kids get older, you can start teaching them the value of cleaning. Cleaning isn’t just a random task or punishment. Cleaning and sanitizing serve important purposes in your home.
- Preventing the spread of illness
- Removing germs and bacteria
- Reducing stress in the house
- Making room for personal belongings
- Creating an inviting space for friends and family
Set Realistic Cleaning Goals for Kids
When it comes to cleaning, it is best to provide clear and realistic goals for children. Make sure your expectations are clear and your child understands exactly what they are supposed to do. It is also important to ensure that the task can be accomplished by your child. Asking them to clean their room in an hour may not be achievable. However, asking them to make their bed and fold their clothes is more realistic and concrete.
Clean Up Together
Cleaning up can be a whole family affair. Even if you dread cleaning, cleaning with your kids can be a fun time spent together. Put on your favourite music and dance around while you clean or spend the time talking and laughing. You can position your family as a team when it comes to cleaning and divide and conquer the task at hand. Section off the house or hand out specific jobs to make the process go faster and give everyone a sense of purpose.
Turn Cleaning into a Fun Challenge
While most of us consider cleaning a bore, it can actually be fun. You can spark interest in cleaning and help the time go by faster for your kids by creating fun challenges.
- Set a countdown timer to see how much your kids can get done in a specific amount of time
- Play Red Light/Green Light as your kids clean or play music and have them freeze anytime the music stops
- Race to see who can complete a task the best and the fastest
- Slam dunk unbreakable items into their proper bins
Make Cleaning the Standard
Instead of treating cleaning like something out of the ordinary or a chore, just make it like any other part of your normal routine. Setting this standard will ensure your kids clean up wherever they go, including at friends’ houses or family’s houses.
Understand that Some Things are More Important Than Cleaning
While cleaning should be part of your child’s routine, it is important to recognize that sometimes cleaning is not always the priority. Just like adults, kids go through stressful times. Schoolwork may pile up, a project may be due, or extracurricular activities may eat up their time. In some situations, cleaning can be put on hold for a while. Picking up toys or folding clothes can wait until your child is in a more comfortable place.
Make Time for Family with Professional House Cleaning Services
Don’t let cleaning tasks overshadow your time with family. It is important to teach your children to clean up after themselves and help out around the house, but it is also important to spend time doing what matters most to you. Hiring professional house cleaning services from Hellamaid keeps your home clean and tidy, so you can enjoy your space and your family. Book your house cleaning service today with our convenient online booking system.
