How to get your kids to clean! 5 Tips on making Parents Happy

So, you want to know “How to get kids to clean?” Well, keeping a clean, happy home is a group effort and if you have kids, you know this can be a challenge! The good news is, no matter what the age, it is possible to get your children involved in the cleaning process, creating a better environment for you and instilling an early work ethic for your child. Here are 5 Tips on making parents happy:

1) Clearly, define what you would like your kid to clean.

• Don’t just say “Clean your room.”  Tell them what you expect them to do “Make your bed, put laundry in the hamper, hang up clothes, etc.”
• Make sure your expectations are age specific. Toddlers and young children will need step-by-step instructions for simple tasks while older children can be given a list of tasks to complete. Here’s a link to some “Age-Appropriate Chores” to use as a guideline.

2) Create and stick to a routine.

Children thrive on routine. For example, after dinner your child needs to bring their dishes to the sink or dishwasher, then needs to gather all their belongings and put them away each evening before their nighttime routine. Add in any other chores that need to be done and make sure your child is aware that each of these tasks needs to be completed before they can move on to their evening activities. If you stick to this routine, it will become second nature to them.

3) Create a chore reward chart.

Is there something that your child loves to do or is saving up for? This would be the time to get them to work towards it.

• Create a chore chart consisting of a variety of tasks with values assigned to them. For example, picking up all your toys after you play will count for 1 point, dusting counts as 2 points, vacuuming 3 and so on. At the end of the week, tally up the points. There are even apps for chore charts available online. Check out “7 Great Chore Apps to Keep Your Kids Motivated” to get you started.
• Once the child meets the point values set by you, they will get their reward. Rewards can be monetary, a toy or game they want or special time with mom or dad. Rewards will look different for each family but will instill an early work ethic and will help your child learn how to work towards a goal. Plus, it will help cut down on you having to “nag” them to do their chores Win win!

4) Make cleanup fun!

Kids want to have fun, especially young ones. Create a fun, atmosphere by putting on on some music while you clean with your children to take some of the drudgeries out of it (this will even lift your spirits while you clean too!)

5) Don’t “redo” their work.

This is a hard one for some. Teach your children how to do it the “right” way through practice and encourage the work as they do it. If you are a stickler for a particular job, take that job on yourself and let the kids work on the chores they can be successful at. Over time, they will get better at each task and can move on to the harder chores.

We hope these tips help you keep a happier, cleaner home!