Helpful Tip of The Day 4/20/10 ~Cleaning Time With Preschoolers!~
Today’s tip is going to be pointed towards parents with toddlers and
preschoolers, possibly children of other ages as well!
Most parents can relate to having young children at home with them
during the day. This can make housework more of a “chore” than it has
to be! The best way to lessen the burden is to get your children involved
with what you are doing. There are lots of tips online when it comes to
getting children to “help out” in the task of cleaning! When my daughter was
younger, one of the things she LOVED to help with was folding wash cloths!
She would help me out, Help the grandparents out. Don’t they look just so
darn cute when they are trying their hardest!
When she was a little older she enjoyed helping load the dishwasher, or
holding the dust pan in place. Getting your children involved is more
than just the ability to entertain them while you get things done, it will
also build their confidence and show them the importance of staying neat!
It helps to build character and makes them feel important! Not to mention,
you don’t have to feel guilty for not spending time with them while you
complete your daily tasks!
The following are some tips to help get your little ones involved in your
daily house cleaning lifestyle!
*Use Feather Dusters: They are a wonderful tool when it comes to
cleaning with children! They love them! Let your child go around and
dust some things while you do other work, that may not require their “help”.
*Plastic Spray Bottles: When it is time for you to clean or dust your
knick knacks and such, fill a small spray bottle with water and have them
“clean” some of their Plastic Toys.
* Play delivery person: Put various things that need to be put away into
a large basket with a handle. Have one of your children be the delivery
person and put everything in its place.
*Use Grill Tongs: Let your children use Grill Tongs to pick up their toys!
There is just something about doing things in an “odd” or different way to get
kids inspired! If you have more than one child you can make a game of it,
to see who can pick up the most!
* Shake Your Booty: Put on one of your child’s favorite CD’s while cleaning
is in progress. Dance around and act silly to help lighten the mood and take
“Chore” out of cleaning!
Remember to always give positive feedback for their efforts no matter
how well the job was completed. Children love to feel important. They
will love the praise and be more prone to helping you clean up in the future!
So how do you have your little ones help out with household tasks?
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My 20 month old peanut loves to help mama with chores. He’ll hand me the silverware from the dishwasher, once piece at a time, while I’m busy emptying the rest of the dishes. When I put the clothes from the washer to the dryer, he shoves the wet clothes in while I pile them on the door. For both chores, he closes the doors, followed by a high-five. He can push the start button on the dryer and then we do a little “We did it!” dance on the washer to celebrate. He does help me dust, though he usually ends up rubbing the paper towel on the couch. That’s ok by me. He also got a little broom for his birthday that he really tries to use. He kinda pushes it around like a push-broom, rather than sweeping with it, but by the time he’s ready to move out into his own place, I think he’ll have gotten the hang of it.
That’s too precious! You have him off to a great start, and it’s great that he wants to help out so much!