By the end of the day, the last thing I feel like doing is cleaning up the toys... again. But, our play area is right inside the front door (hmmm.... talk about poor planning!), and I do like to give Sweet Hubby a clear run through from the front door to the living area, when he gets home from work!
So my tip on getting little kids to help with cleaning / tidying up is to make it fun (sorry, that is so obvious it sounds silly, doesn't it?). Some of the best ways I have found to do this are:
* Have spare cleaning equipment for them. Naomi is thrilled at the thought of sweeping. So she happily picks up her toys, if she can then get to swish a broom around, while I am actually sweeping the floor. I also keep a spray bottle filled with water, and clean cloth, for her to "wipe" with, while I am doing bench tops, wiping down cupboards, dusting etc. She loves to spray!
* Make it a race. Against Mummy, against a timer, before Daddy gets home, or just to see who can hold the most toys in their arms at once. Whatever you can think of!
* Incorporate something they love. Naomi adores having her picture taken. So I like to take a 'before' photo, and then tell her we can take another one after, when the room is tidy and the floor swept. I did this today, and it worked a charm --
Before:
After:
and not a single complaint - she actively picked up toys, tidied up books, and helped me shake out the floor mat.
For more great parenting tips and idea, go over to see Kimberly at Raising Olives.
Love it! If I remember not to be a drill sergeant and make it fun for the kids it goes much smoother:)
ReplyDeleteI can use all the help I can get to get my children to help clean up. Why don't they want to help? Oh, I guess maybe I understand. I would rather make a mess than clean it up, too.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Our kids like to divide into teams and see which team wins by picking up their area fastest.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Kimberly