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Tag: cleaning with kids

  • How to Keep the House Clean with Little Ones Around

    How to Keep the House Clean with Little Ones AroundThe need to clean our homes doesn’t really rely upon a specific time of the year, so we often need to address the issue regardless of what else we have to deal with. There are many ways we can get lazy, allowing the filth to pile up and that happens even more often than we’d like to admit when we have kids to take care of. We also tend to forget one of the simplest facts concerning dust – the fact that it happens to be made of dander, hair and worse. If you want to deal with it and you have kids to deal with as well, then you will need some help after all. On the bright side of things, they may even help you out if you handle things right and you can turn things into a lot of fun, so you can move ahead with this in mind while making sure your home is clean and flawless:

    • Using teamwork

    It would be a pretty lonesome thing to work in a bathroom by yourself, especially if you can find a fun way to clean together with your kids. You can have your kids helping you out with the smaller stuff, such as scrubbing the sink, helping you with polishing things and other things that may need to be done. You must always choose tasks that are suited to the kids themselves however, as this will be a necessary step toward finishing the job. This will also help the kids learn to deal with teamwork efforts in a friendly environment.

    • Keeping kids focused

    In most cases kids will be amazing at tuning out what they need to do when they get bored, so you will need to figure out ways to keep them focused and happy at the same time. You will need to offer the tasks with suitable presentation if you want to make them interested in what you must do. You can organize things with a small board with tasks meant for you and your kids, offering rewards for helping you out in one form or another. If you handle things right your kids will be more than happy to help out and they will learn something from the experience while they help out. If, on the other hand, you wish to keep your kids quiet and seated while you are doing the toughest cleaning tasks, then you must provide them with something that can keep them occupied and focused. For instance, while you are trying to clean the ceiling fan, allowing them to watch cartoons online (perhaps by using the best streaming vpn that can unblock certain cartoons restricted in your area) could be a good idea since you will not need to keep an eye on them at all times while you are already doing a tough task.

    • The importance of music

    There is a great way to inspire minds and bodies when you need to focus on a job and that is by listening to music. You can really up the mood by using some nice, upbeat tunes to help you and your kids, enjoying a good time while working with less hassle involved in the process. You could also use various methods to keep children completely preoccupied (so that you work with little or no obstruction). It is seen that children tend to stay focused when their favorite tunes or cartoons are on for them. Cable tv has tended to be the favorite way for mums to keep their little ones occupied often. If you’re interested, you could read up on more cable tv statistics and know more about this domain!

    • Give tougher jobs to teens

    As kids grow, they will have the ability to do more to help you out, with the greater skill involved. It could be anything you need, from basic repairs and organizing to cleaning. However, note that basic repairs and cleaning do not include kids repairing or cleaning roofs. Tasks like these should better be left to a roofing contractor. Here basic repairs and cleaning refer to fixing a broken table or dusting the windows. Do not give them jobs that might lead to accidents.

    Anyway, if you have been handling your kids right so far, they will not mind helping out even during the tougher and more emotionally difficult moments of their teen years. In some cases, teens may dislike the tasks you give them, but they can really deal with them in a favorable way if you handle things the right way.

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  • Guest Blog: Teaching Children to Clean

    Teaching Children to Clean

    So many times parents wait to give chores to their children when they are much older. The best way to train your children to clean house is to start from the time they learn to walk. And even before they can walk you can talk to them about the work you are doing and what is the best way to get it done. Many studies show that children can learn to read or learn a foreign language in their infancy. It is never too early to start teaching them how to clean house as well!

    I know that when I was very small my own mother would sit me near her as she was cooking or baking in the kitchen and she shared each step with me. She would also take all of us from room to room with her as she cleaned and she talked about everything she was doing. Now even though I do not recall these conversations as they took place at the time I know that I these experiences are stored in my mind. I have always known, almost instinctively, the best way to dust furniture, bake a cake, to clean a tub, etc.

    Starting from the time your child can walk you can find chores that they can do. Picking up their own toys and putting them back into the toy box for example. Putting away their own clothes in the dresser or helping you to carry a few dirty clothes to the laundry room. These are things that babies can easily achieve. If you wait until they get older and more responsible, they will most likely at this point rebel against the idea of cleaning. Starting them out early making it just another natural part of life (and it is) will give them the skills they need in their adult years. It will also ensure that you as the parents will not have the entire responsibility of cleaning the home. I personally know families with teenagers and adult children that take no responsibility for the home and the parents are working and have the entire responsibility for the home as well. This should never be the case, it is not fair, but if you wait to train your children when you think they are old enough then you may find yourself in the same situation.

    There are some really clever charts I have seen in several different posts lately about age appropriate chores for children. You could search the internet for these charts or just sit down and write down all the chores that need to be done in the house from the smallest on up. Write down your child’s or children’s names and start writing age appropriate chores under their names. Yes, you will need to spend a little more time in the beginning supervising and teaching but it will be well worth your time when you witness the results. Start them off small and work your way up to bigger and bigger challenges as they age. In the beginning you can work side by side with the children to train them and encourage them but as they advance in skill they can be left to work on their own.

    Some people say that they have charts with stars and rewards for chores. Some children get allowances if they do their chores. Even though I do believe in giving children allowances I have never believed in giving it to them for doing their chores. I feel like everyone who lives in the home should be responsible for it and that their reward is a clean and nurturing environment. In my opinion the allowance should not be for doing the chores but instead for personal responsibility for their lives. Not just doing their chores but doing them with a good attitude. Being responsible for their homework and doing their best in school (which of course is different for each individual). One child may be an A student while the other brings home a B in a few subjects but you know they are doing their best.

    And children should not just be taught to do their chores. They should also be taught to see a need and meet it. How many times have we all seen a child or even an adult for that matter walk right over something that needs to be picked up and put away or thrown away? Or you may be carrying in a lot of groceries and no one offers to help. This type of instruction is so very important for children to get early in life. We are only hurting our children when we do not give them proper training in thinking of others and noticing small things that need to be done and doing them. When they enter the workforce they will have a hard time adapting to being a team member and working with others if they do not receive the proper training at home.

    Cleanliness is a big part of life and something that can not be ignored. As parents we need to look at it for what it is, a life skill, something that our children need to become successful independent adults. We only make it easier for them by starting them out from the beginning. Chores are not a punishment but a very important part of life.

    Rachael Cherry is a wife, mother, and writer who is passionate about helping connect families in need with high quality caregivers. She has taken that passion and put it to work through NannyPro, a respected online nanny referral service. Learn more by visiting @NannyPro on Twitter.