10 Tips for Keeping a Clean House With Kids

Teaching your kids to help out with house chores is a win-win situation. They will gain valuable life skills, responsibility and a healthy mindset, while you will get the duties done faster and be a great parent! Because kids are considered a blank slate, teach them responsibility and life skills at an early age. So, the sooner you start, the better for you and them! We are here to give a few guidelines for both!

1. Make it a routine

If you clean your home once in a blue moon, the kids will follow suit. How you treat your household is an example they will follow, so the more you clean, the more they will learn. You don’t have to do a full home inspection, but regular one-room-per-day cleaning is enough.

2. Make it a game

Kids and games go hand in hand, so you can make clean-up duty a fun activity. Make some tasks cost points, or reward those who do a diligent clean-up job. If they do clean alone, and show initiative, reward that even more. By turning chores into a game, you are changing how kids perceive them and that way, you make it more interesting for them.

3. Teach them other chores

Dusting, vacuuming, moping the floor, putting toys in their place, doing the laundry, washing dishes and cleaning windows. These are some potential chores even a child can do at an early age, so when you present all of these choices, they have ample options available. One by one, they will quickly learn, and soon your child can help with anything. This way, they will also avoid boredom thru repetition.

4. Helping hands

Sometimes you can only do so much. You are only human, and there are tasks in cleaning that you cannot do or don’t have the energy to do. Rather than give a bad example, you can reach for pro and fast house cleaning services, where others will do the job for you. Your child can also observe professionals in their field and learn from there. You will also teach them that it’s ok to seek help when you can do something alone or don’t know how to do it.

5. Declutter

Before you start doing any cleaning, you need to declutter the room. Kid’s rooms are notorious for small parts, toys, crayons, puzzles, Lego pieces etc. which can get in the way of your cleaning. Teaching them to put things back in their place makes your job easier and teaches them how to play and clean after themselves.

6. Talk to your kids

Communication is the key to everything. From a loving relationship to a thriving marriage, even talking to your kids about the importance of cleaning goes a long way. Explain why you are cleaning and how they can help with each task. No help is too small, and you should reward them with positive affirmation after each contribution they make.

7. 15-minute sprints

The kid’s attention span is short, but you can use that to your advantage. Doing sprints of cleaning, where you time yourself and make it a hectic and fun activity, will get their heart racing. Some light maintenance of just one room is enough for the day, and the kids will enjoy the change of pace.

8. Big sweeping actions

In other cases, a complete house clean-up is necessary. From each corner to finding leaking issues and thorough cleaning, one day per month is cleaning day. If you include your kids and make them tidy up their room, and around it, you already have one less item on the list. The sooner they are done the sooner they can play again!

9. Let them pick and choose

Give them a list of rooms and activities to pick from. That way, they get more say in cleaning duty, and you get to delegate at least one item from the list.

10. Don’t delay

What you can clean today should not be left for tomorrow. Healthy habits start now and remain constant. Showing your kids the importance of routine, instilling it in them.

In the battle against house chores and keeping your haven clean, your kids can be your best allies. Armed with inexhaustible energy, enthusiasm and love, together you’ll accomplish anything!