Having children is great but their presence can drastically complicate the execution of your cleaning duties. But it doesn’t have to be like that if you alter your routine and make both a practical and education task, especially for your kids.
- Designate a playing area
Gather your children and tell them which the playing area outside of their room is. This way you will contain them in one single place while you are cleaning the remainder of your home. It will also limit clutter that they will create with their toys, playbooks and etc.
- Establish playtime rules
If your household is too small to designate a play area, you can establish playtime rules which your kids must follow to the letter. For example you can tell them that Saturday and Sunday morning they cannot play outside of their rooms as you or your spouse must put the house in order for the upcoming week.
- Establish cleaning rules
Go to your local home depot and purchase several plastic containers. Label them as follows:
- Toys
- Books
- Plush animals
- Drawing materials
Next sit down with your children and explain to them what the containers are for and tell them that they must always put their belongings in the respective container once they are done playing with it. This will not only ease your overall cleaning routine but it will also teach your kids about responsibility and the importance of maintaining a clean and properly arranged area.
- Make your kids the boss for a while
If you have several children you can make one of them supervise the others and assign him/her the task to see whether his/hers siblings are following your rules or not. The next time you are cleaning the house you make choose another supervisor and so on. This will teach your kids on how to work as a team and what is the difference between following and breaking the rules.
- Tell your kids that sometimes you will be throwing some of their toys
Children cannot fully realise the negative effect that some bacteria and germs can have on their health. So, it is very important to explain to them that some areas of the household are so dirty and soiled that if some of their toys fall in them, you will be forced to throw them away. Such areas are the garage and basement floor, the toilet, the cabinet in which you keep your cleaning supplies, the head of the vacuum cleaner and so on.
- Use professional help
Every now and then contact a professional cleaning firm and have it clean your household meticulously. This will not only give you a day off but it will also teach your kids that sometimes use qualified help is the best way to handle an important task. Know that nowadays sanitation companies provide their cleaning services at affordable prices.
- Making cleaning fun
Play some music while you are cleaning, this will make the task pleasant for both you and your children. Also tell that the most helpful one of them will receive a reward. This will motivate them to listen to you and more importantly to lend you a hand.
