Kids Cleaning Tips and Tricks You Need Now
Are you looking for kids’ cleaning tips that work?
Sometimes, getting kids to help with the cleaning feels like pulling teeth. The simple truth is that not all kids want to help when it comes to housework. And not all adults do either. However, these seven simple kids cleaning tips and tricks can help you teach them how to get the job done.
Offer the right kids cleaning tools
As a working homeschool mom, I know you’re busy. I am too!
I learned long ago that I needed strong time management skills to stay on top of all my responsibilities. And that includes homemaking strategies.
I knew I needed to get the children to help when I realized my decluttering checklist was overwhelming.
When it comes to getting kids to help, simply offering them the right cleaning tools upfront can go a long way. So give young kids cleaning tools designed to fit their particular size. That way, they’ll want to start helping just to play with their new toy.
One of my favorite kids cleaning tips is to find toy cleaning tools that function for real. Look for cleaning kits including the following:
- child-size brooms
- dustpans
- mops
- dusters
Your youngest kids can then clean everything within their own reach! If you start when they’re preschoolers, they’ll associate cleaning with playtime. And they’ll get in the habit early. When you introduce cleaning with tools that work and fit little hands, you position children for cleaning success.
How to assign age-appropriate chores
Another of my favorite cleaning tips for children involves assigning age-appropriate daily chores. This also helps a child succeed. Don’t assign chores that are too advanced for a child.
Keep in mind that each child has different abilities at different ages. Try not to compare siblings. Instead, pay attention to your children’s physical and mental skills. Then assign chores that they will be able to complete.
Start simply, then add more complexity to challenge them.
For example, once a child has mastered sweeping, let them Swiffer.
Once they’re Swiffering, give them a chance to use a mop and bucket.
Or start with simply getting them to sort the laundry basket items into piles of clothes for each member of the family.
Then teach them how to fold underwear and place it in their bureau drawer.
If a child feels their chore is too hard, they might choose to skip it. Or they’ll intentionally do a poor job of it hoping you’ll take over. They might even be prepared to accept whatever consequences are offered in place of the chore, such as lost privileges.
To make the most of chores for your child, assign tasks they know how to complete without extra help.
Take the time to teach kids how to clean
So now comes the fun part, teaching your child to clean the house.
This might not be as much fun for you as a parent as it is for your child. However, it’s such an important responsibility of parents. No one showed me how to clean, tidy, cook, or keep a home as a child. And honestly, I’ve struggled with it for my entire adult life.
Take the time to show your child, step-by-step, how to complete their task. Maybe tidy together as a team in your home office and homeschool room.
Break it down into tiny steps. Show them first, then ask them to complete it. It could take a week or more for them to master it. Yet teaching them the correct way to start and FINISH their household chores is key to them doing the tasks properly.
So instead of assigning chores immediately, start by having your child help YOU with the chore. Model how to do it so you can teach them how to do it right.
Make chores a family affair
Another of those key kids cleaning tips is this: If your kids see you not doing chores while they are, they’re more likely to resent housework and chores.
And this might lead to a sullen, angry child. No one, especially homeschooling families, wants to deal with attitude problems day in and day out.
To help avoid this scenario, make daily chores a family affair.
You might find you can encourage and supervise your kids cleaning while completing your own chores. I remember listening to my grandmother’s stories when we dried dishes together during my visits. Those are some of my best memories.
This is a great way to spend time together and tackle cleaning tasks on weekends or evenings. Why not turn on your favorite dance music and get everyone going as a team to get the house nice and clean?
Role model it for your kids. When our children see us set an example, they’re more likely to follow us.
Use a chore chart
Confession: I LOVE chore charts. I love the charts for preschoolers. You know, the ones with pictures of shoes tidied on the mat and beds neatly made?
And I love the more complex weekly chore charts for school-aged kids too.
Chore charts make it easy for kids to see what’s expected of them.
Trying using a visual chore chart for your youngest kids. This makes it super easy for even pre-readers to understand what they must do.
Start by making or finding a chore chart that allows your child to move the items from their to-do list to their done list. This encourages them to keep going.
This same system is great for training your child to follow a morning or evening routine.
Declutter your home
A cluttered space takes more work to clean. And it can easily lead your child (and you) to feeling overwhelmed. Keep clutter under control.
This makes cleaning easier for the entire family. It also removes some of the stress and anxiety kids might feel about cleaning up because they can see exactly where each item belongs.
For their personal spaces, try rotating toys to make pick-up easier for your child to keep up with. This trick also helps keep your child’s toys interesting as they disappear for a while, and when they come back, they feel like new again.
Give everything a place
Keeping a home clean and organized can be challenging and kids can struggle to figure out where things belong.
Remember, each child is different. So if one of these kids cleaning tips or tricks doesn’t do the job, try a different one. Eventually, you’ll find a system that works for your family.
To make it easier, set your home up to stay cleaner and be easier to clean. Your children should know where everything belongs. That way, they’re less likely to shove things in hidden places. Places that are easy to overlook, then discover and clean out later!
The simple truth is that the more organized your home is, the easier it is to keep it clean and to get the whole family to chip in.
