Although a tedious and dull task, cleaning our homes is something we all need to do. No matter how much it pains us, it’s the only way to maintain the level of hygiene and cleanliness that’s necessary for our health. The only people that dislike cleaning more than you are probably your children. For them, this process is yet another thing they need to finish before finally getting to play and enjoy their carefree lives. To make this time go quickly and instill good habits in your children, you will need some tips for keeping a clean house with kids.
1. Have a chat with them before you begin
For keeping a clean house with kids to be a success, there needs to be a constant flow of communication. It would be best to devise a plan that everyone will be on board with. Make sure to keep it simple and easily understandable. Especially if you like to get carried away, make a huge deal out of spring cleaning and organizing, make sure to recognize your children’s limits. Their attention span is nowhere near as wide as yours, especially when it comes to things like cleaning. If they’re involved in the planning process, you’ll have much greater chances of it all working out.
Keeping a clean house with your kids can be fun and rewarding. Make sure to communicate with them.
Teach your kids about the importance of cleaning
When it comes to communication, make sure to sit your kids down and share why it’s important that they do this. Talk to them about hygiene and cleanliness and how they’ll have a much better and healthier time playing in a clean space.
2. Be forgiving
Of course, no matter how well-behaved and great your kids are, they’ll surely make some mistakes. It takes us all a bit of time to learn. Make sure to be patient and let them explore a little, even if it seems like a waste of time at the moment. If you’re a bit of a clean freak, you need to make a conscious decision not to let that part of you take over.
Cleaning is therapeutic during significant changes like relocation
One of the biggest changes kids go through in their earliest years is relocation. Especially if you’re moving far away, they’ll surely need some time to adjust. Cleaning can actually be very therapeutic to help your kids adapt after a cross-country move. Although it might be hard to organize aneasy relocation across the country, you can make this process bearable. Organizing and cleaning their new space will help them get used to it and consider it their home.
3. Use eco-friendly cleaning supplies
Of course, you’ll need to find kid-safe cleaning products if you plan to let your kids do some of the more thorough cleaning jobs. They shouldn’t touch or breathe in the strong chemicals since they could be very harmful. This means that you might not get spotless windows and the shiniest floors, and that’s okay. Keeping a clean house with kids should be a bonding process and not something that causes stress and tension.
Make sure to use kid-friendly products for keeping a clean house with your kids.
4. Consistency is critical when keeping a clean house with kids
This shouldn’t be a one-time thing. Make sure that your kids understand that maintenance is the most important thing for a clean home. Try to create a steady and sustainable routine that you and your kids will have. You can clean for 15 minutes every day or set aside a day that you’ll dedicate to this cause. Once you make a habit of it, things will be much easier.
5. Make your own rules
The fact that someone recommends upkeeping a particular routine in their home doesn’t mean that you have to do the same thing. Although it’s a must, let your kids know that cleaning can be done in whichever way you agree.
Create a cleaning timeframe
As we’ve already mentioned, the time you dedicate to cleaning your home can be whenever. Don’t feel the pressure to do what everyone else is doing.
Divide and conquer
Make sure to work with each other and not against each other. Talk about the areas you want to get to over a specific period and then divide the chores equally or in accordance with your abilities.
Make this an awarding process
Although you shouldn’t bribe your kids to get them to clean, you should try to make it a bit more fun. For example, if your usual cleaning time is Saturday afternoon, why not reward yourselves by making your fave dessert after.
Crank up the music
If you can, why not try and make cleaning fun? Crank up some music and dance while you sweep.
It’s essential to make your own rules while cleaning with your kids.
6. Take breaks
If cleaning sometimes gets a bit too much, make sure to take some breaks. Check in with your kids from time to time and see if it’s become a bit overwhelming for them. This especially applies to situations like moving or renovating when there’s more stress present. If you need to, have a full day off andhire a professional cleaner to finish what you started. You can go and enjoy a day in nature or take some time to unwind and regain your strength.
7. Use storage to make this process easier
Even though your kids might have an abundance of different toys and knickknacks, they surely don’t use all of them at the same time. One of the things that you can do to make keeping a clean house with kids far easier is rent out a storage unit. There won’t be so many items lying around this way, which means much less time spent decluttering.
