When I visit friends with kids, they are always apologizing for the mess. Haven’t you done something similar when guests visit?
Most women feel the pressure of keeping their home military clean. Either they spend all their free time cleaning up the mess, or they feel frustrated when their kid spills the milk yet another time.
In both cases, you feel exhausted at the end of the day. And yet you still can’t figure out how to clean home with kids.
How To Clean Home With Kids
Sit down and take a deep breath. Read these insanely simple ways on how to clean home with kids, even if your kids are busy creating an even bigger mess right now.
Have Realistic Expectations
Don’t beat yourself if the house isn’t clean like it used to. Remember, there are now two or more people making the mess, and only one cleaning it up. Unless your house is going to top the list of messy homes, you’re okay.
You should instantly lower your expectations of a clean home when you have kids. Even with your kids helping out, the home isn’t going to be sparkling clean. There will still be dirty laundry and spontaneous spills.
Start Early
How easy would your life be if your kids cleaned up after themselves? Put their toys back in the basket and leave their dirty laundry INSIDE the laundry basket.
You might have seen a friend’s kids to that and wonder how she made him do it. It’s stupid simple. They started early.
You probably remember or have observed your child copy you. Even the most boring jobs. Mine loved to dust and mop. I let them do it. It develops a habit.
When they are done playing, help them put the toys back. If they are old enough to play, they are old enough to clean up.
Yes, they won’t really clean up. But it would help set the habit for later on. You won’t have to expect them to clean up. They already know they have to do it.
Here’s a printable to help you do the cleaning up together. Mark off each task when you or the kids finish:
Be Specific When Assigning Tasks
I remember my husband used to get frustrated when he yelled ‘Clean up!’ The kids went on with what they were doing.
When you say, ‘clean up!’, and your child doesn’t clean up after himself, he isn’t really ignoring you. It’s quite possible he doesn’t understand what you want him to do.
Give your child a specific task. Pick up all the stuff toys and put them in the toy basket.
Play Games
This is my secret way of getting my kids to clean up the messiest of the mess. Make it all one big game. I haven’t met a kid who said no to games.
A few cleaning up games to keep your home clean with kids are:
- Color code. Divide the toys in colors. Ask one child to pick the red ones and the other the yellow ones. Here’s a lesson in color in this activity too.
- Find the treasure. Hide stickers in the mess. Have fun watching their excited faces when they find all kinds of stickers.
- Clean up dance. Get creative and choreograph your clean up dance. Every time your kids clean up, get and do the dance. Do it together. To make it more fun, turn on the music.
- Speed Game. Turn on the stopwatches. Give each child a portion to clean up. The one who completes it first wins. You can get them to break their own records the next time they clean up.
- Buy a cleaning kit. A cleaning kit will not only spark imagination, but it will also turn cleaning up into a game.
- Rock, paper, and scissors. Whoever wins gets to do a task of his picking. Whoever loses has to do the task the winner demands.
Start The Day with Cleaning
When you wake up, the first thing you should be doing is making up your bed. When you start your day with cleaning, you start with a happy mood. A clean house makes you happy, don’t you agree?
When you start the day with cleaning, cleaning for the rest of the day becomes easier. It keeps you motivated. Plus, it’s easier to put back the new stuff you or your kids take out. Ask your kids to respect the clean place. Expect them to.
Marie Kondo Your Home
Marie Kondo, the cleaning queen, has been inspiring homes around the world after her Netflix series, Tidying Up was released. The series is inspired by Marie Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo.
Marie Kondo preaches keeping it simple. Get rid of all the items that don’t spark joy for you. When you declutter your home, it will be easier to keep it clean.
I hope that these tips to keep your home clean with kids will help you deal with all the mess, and change your perspective about the whole cleaning up process!
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As always, if you have concerns about your child’s development and would like to set up a free consultation to discuss your concerns, please reach out! I would love to help you determine your child’s individual needs. We are here to support you as you help your child blossom!
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