Tag Archive | cleaning

Kids and Chores – A Match Made in Heaven!

Oct3

I’m writing an entry on this subject as it is very important on the homemaking front.  Involve your children in your tasks… they’re never too young to start! :-)

It’s hard work at first, as you train them and have them work next to you.  But the payoff is big… both for them and for yourself.  As they get older and truly contribute to keeping the house running, it lifts so many tasks off of the homemaker and avails her to attend to other needed areas in the home.  Additionally, it squashes any ‘martyr’ mentality that may be lurking in her.

And for the child, it is the groundwork for establishing a work mentality.  They understand what is needed to keep a home well run.  They grow a sense of pride when the house is cleaner because of their contribution.  And it helps them realize the purposefulness of productive work (not busy work).

It definitely takes time to train them on the tasks.  Be patient, be considerate of what you assign them, and do not expect perfection.  The goal is not to frustrate the child with a task that is too complicated or physically demanding… it is to instill diligence and a sense of contribution.  These are attributes they will need as they enter adulthood, the workplace, the mission field, etc.

And don’t forget to give lots of praise and recognition for a job well done. :-)

So what are some of the things you can have them do?  Here’s a list of ideas to get you started (which is in no way exhaustive - feel free to give suggestions on other ideas!):

General cleaning:
Empty trash bins into main kitchen bin
Sweep/vacuum high traffic areas, or an assigned room
Sweep off front porch
Spray and wipe down windows with ‘vinegar and water’ spray (50/50 ratio water/vinegar ratio)
Dusting
Clean off baseboards (can be done with socks over their hands, or a lambswool/swiffer duster)
Roll out/pick up trash bins on trash pick-up day.
Help with caring for the pets – feeding, making sure water bowl is full
Water plants

Laundry:
Help sort out the laundry into wash piles (takes a little more training than others as many items can be confusing.)
Fold/hang clean laundry, or help distribute clean laundry back to owner
Sort out whites/socks (fun for younger children)

Bathrooms:
Sponge out bathroom sinks, with a little baking soda as the cleaner
Wipe down mirrors with vinegar/water spray and a hand towel
Wipe down counter
Clean off surfaces of toilet with cleaning wipes and swish toilet brush around the inside of toilet
Scrub the tub (more appropriate for older children)

Kitchen:
Help set table
Pour drinks for meal
Help clear table after meal
Wash dishes or help load dishwasher
Help unload clean dishes from dishwasher – Unloading and sorting the silverware is perfect for little ones. (Obviously be cautious about removing any sharp knives first.)
Help with any meal prep activities (kids love this!)
Help unload the bags of groceries from car

Child’s bedroom:
Straighten every day
Make bed every day (do not expect perfection… if you have a 5 year old making his/her bed, it will look like a 5 year old made it and that is ok!  Resist the urge to re-do it.)
Vacuum
Dust
Help on “sheet changing day”
Be in habit of donating toys, books, and games no longer being used

Outdoors:
Raking leaves
Pulling weeds
Sweeping off patios, sidewalks, entryways
Water flower beds

Simplify

May5

This is probably a theme you’ve no doubt heard about lately.  Simplify your life… your home, your activities, your cooking, etc.  And oh, has this been true in my life.  This post is about simplifying your home.

We recently made an out-of-state move which involved selling one home and buying another.  It was one long, drawn-out, tiresome event, and I never want to do it again!

However, in the whole ugly process, I definitely learned a great thing… SIMPLIFY YOUR HOME.

Do you know what led me to this?  Having our house for sale!  And what do you have to do when your house is for sale?  Declutter, minimize, and de-personalize it.  

When we got our home ready for the sale, we put away a LOT of things so as to make it look open, fresh, and clean.  And guess what?  I didn’t end up missing any of it!  I say ‘no’ to knickknacks now.  All they are good for are dusting!  (Ok – I shouldn’t say I don’t have ANY knickknacks, but I’m down to allowing only a few places around our home to house them, and the displayed item has to have had some major significant emotional attachment to have made the cut.)

And, once we arrived in our new home and started unpacking, we ended up donating three-quarters of all the ‘clutter’ stuff we had packed away when the old house was for sale.  We didn’t want it anymore!  (By the way another lesson was learned here:  Get RID of your stuff before you move.  Otherwise you pay to A.)Pack it  B.)Move it  C.)Store it.  And if you get rid of something and find you need it again, you can re-buy it for cheaper than the packing/moving/storing would have cost you.)

Back to the simplifying topic… How about the kitchen, you ask?  Our counters have never been so clear and I love it.  I have found space in our cabinets for all appliances except the coffee maker and toaster.  And I actually donated a couple of larger appliances (i.e. a bread maker and an indoor grill).  Why get rid of perfectly good items?  I hadn’t used them in years.  They took up so much space that I needed for other daily items.

This concept fits the bathroom as well.  The functional things I need regularly go into drawers or cabinets.  Instead of storing cotton balls or Q-tips in clear glass jars on your counter top (like all the home and garden magazines show), put them in a drawer or a cabinet. Put it away… don’t keep it out.  Do you know what a good feeling it is to spray down your counter and wipe it clean without having to move aside or wipe around all that useless clutter on your countertop?  Clutter attracts clutter, and cleanliness attracts cleanliness!

SO, get rid of all those candle holders, candy bowls, baskets, dusty fake flowers, magazine tubs (when you’re done with the magazine, give it away or recycle it), figurines, pencil holders (put your office supplies in a well-organized drawer), and ornamental whatevers.  Trust me – you’ll never miss them!