If you have any children, keeping your house clean can feel like a constant- and solo - battle. I know I am always amazed when I go to my children’s school and a room full of children happily pick up an entire classroom full of toys, puzzles, blocks, etc., as soon as the teacher gives the word and sings a song. Meanwhile, at home, their bedrooms are disasters and they happily sit on the couch watching me shuttle items from one room and one floor to the next, what seems like all day long.
It’s never too early to get your kids to pitch in and help with cleaning - the earlier the better! The main message is that the entire family lives in your home and all family members must respect and help to take care of the house. One of the most important things you can do is be a good role model when it comes to keeping your personal items in order - make your own, bed, keep your clothes and shoes put away neatly, promptly pick up papers and books, etc. Also, make it easy for young kids to help out - put water bottles and other approved snacks at low levels they can reach so they can hep themselves. Make bins easy to reach to put toys away so even the littlest kids can help by putting them away when they are finished with them. Here is a list of age-appropriate cleaning chores for kids:
From ages 3 to 6:
- Make beds - I don’t use a top sheet at this age and have a comforter with duvet only to help my kids make their beds neatly
- Put dirty clothes in a hamper - I have a basket in each of my kids’ closets to make it easier for them
- Set up appropriate and accessible storage spaces for your kids toys - so they can put them away when they are done playing
- Set and clear the table
- Dust low areas that kids can reach like bookshelves and baseboards
- Sweep
- Help with laundry - putting clothes in the washer and transferring to dryer
Article continues below...
From 7 to 11 years old, kids can take care of these additional tasks:
- Vacuum
- Unload the dishwasher
- Put away laundry
- Wash windows
- Feed and brush pets
- Yard work - weed, rake leaves, sweep porches, etc.
From ages 12 and upward, you could add:
- Fold laundry
- Walk pets
- Mop floors
- Load the dishwasher or hand-wash dishes
- Take out the garbage
Remember, many hands make the work light!
03.05.10 @ 4:21 am
Remember, many hands make the work light! A phrase I lived by when I had 4 teenagers and had to go back to work.
I used to give them each a spray bottle and a damp rag. Their job was to, from the front door to the back door, go around the house and get rid of all the fingerprints. Of course there were always a few spray bottle fights but that got the job done.
I also gave them jobs to do during the week before I got home from work, and when they didn’t do them during the week, I would get them up early on Saturday morning and them we would all clean house.
Naturally, I would go back to work on Monday to rest!
Here’s another hint. I told them that they had to clean their rooms, and that if they didn’t, I would clean them myself on Saturday. When their bedrooms weren’t cleaned by them by the weekend I would go through them like a madwoman and clean from top to bottom.
They didn’t like that because I would get rid of everything that was tacky or that I didn’t think was appropriate or that just plain smelled. I always got rid of these objectionables in the waste bin at the grocery store.
In order to do this one has to believe in equal rights for parents. It does help to really know who is the boss.
03.05.10 @ 6:49 pm
Great Ideas. I am forwarding them to my daughter who is always short of time to do cleaning and has 3 children ages 6 to 12 who can lend a hand so Mom can have more time to spend with them. Nana in Colorado.
03.07.10 @ 12:45 pm
hello rachael i have a 11year old douaghter she dont understand she have have to fellow the rules what can i do to make her help.
04.20.10 @ 2:29 pm
I come from a large family (Ten) and after my sisters left and started families of their own, that left five boys at home. I was the oldest of the five and at age ten I was doing almost everything around the house, as well as changing diapers on my two youngest brothers.My father owned a large lott where we lived and I remeber many grueling hours of taking care of the yard that he was so proud of.My two brothers that were right under me as far as age wise goes helped out as much as they could too.Today however kids feel that they should not have to do much at all. I think as a Nation we have become a bit lazy and have become to acoustomed to the easy life. Now don’t get me wrong there are still plenty of hard working Americans out there but most are over the age of twelve ; )