The following post is from Becky of Clean Mama: 25 Ways to Involve Little Family Members Around the House
It’s the end of the school year and summer is just around the corner. Why not take a little time this Mother’s Day week to think of ways that you can involve the little family members in some daily tasks around the house. It’s a little gift for you! Letting up a little on expectations and control, you’ll gain so much more – independent children, fewer tasks for just you to complete, and most importantly, children that know the importance of contribution and responsibility.
Table of Contents
Bedrooms
- Make beds. I have a fitted sheet on the kids’ beds and a washable quilt – this makes it easy for them to pull the quilt up and make their own beds)
- Put clothes away from the laundry basket as they are able and dirty clothes in the dirty clothes basket.
- Put toys away. The morning and evening work well for us to avoid being overwhelmed by the toy pick-up. I remind them before a special activity (screen time, snack time, friend time).
Bathrooms
- Wipe down counters (a microfiber rag and water clean up toothpaste and other spills).
- Older children can spray and wipe mirrors (with a non-toxic cleaner, of course).
- Refills. Let the kids be in charge of toilet paper and tissues
- Collect garbage.
Living Areas
- Wipe baseboards with baby wipes.
- Wipe light switches and door knobs.
- Pick up toys.
Kitchen
- Load and unload silverware and plastics, when younger, and then add breakable dishware as kids get older.
- Set the table.
- Clear plates at the table.
- Sweep with a little broom and dustpan are great for little ones’ hands.
- Dustbuster responsibility. Let them suck up the crumbs and turn them into a game to fill the bin.
- Wipe the table down.
- Recycle and sort trash.
Laundry
- Sort by color.
- Sort and pair up socks.
- Pair items up with socks, pajamas, and outfits.
- Sort clothes.
- Put clothes on hangers.
- Collect garbage in the laundry room. I have a small trash basket in the laundry room for lint, tags, etc. that the kids take care of emptying when asked.
Pet Care
- Take care of water and food for pets. My oldest started this routine around 5 years old.
- ‘Help’ with brushing and bathing. This is a fun summertime activity with the hose for us.
My Favorite Ways to Get Help in a Hurry
- Set a timer for 5 or 10 minutes and see how if we can clean a whole room or floor in that amount of time.
- Chore charts work well in our house, no nagging, just doing.
- Using special options as ‘rewards’: once your clean room is cleaned up you can have 10 minutes on the computer, go play with your friends, take something else out, etc.
- I need to (fill in the blank), if you’d like to help me we can play your game sooner.
- Let kids help build a chore chart or responsibility chart. Taking ownership in the creation of the tasks will ensure a better success rate!
What are some ways you involve your littlest family members around the house?
| Becky is a self-proclaimed clean freak and list maker. She is a work-at-home mom to three little ones, and in her spare time, she enjoys sharing her cleaning and organizing tricks and tips on her blog, Clean Mama, and through her Etsy Shop, Clean Mama Printables. | |
