When choosing the topic of Making Cleaning Fun For Kids, the office's consensus was that Parents influenced most of our good clean-up habits. However, kids can grow up in a home with clutter and end up hoarding just like parents. My mother worked in housekeeping at hotels, restaurants, and in auto body. She learned tricks of each trade and made sure to share techniques with us. Mom had a specific technique for folding towels, washing dishes, and made sure we dusted last.
She enforced rules to follow on our assigned chores day. The first rule was to get up early and finish by noon. Every Saturday morning, after chores, we raced off to the Mile High Flea Market. Her goal was to be there in time to pick up more collectible records to add to her already 2000+ album collection. She was serious about her hobby and made sure we finished our chores on time. We were each handed a few dollars, and that was our reward for working hard, getting up early to finish early. What made chores fun? Well, they were never fun. Instead, our motivation was finding gems at the flea market. While we cleaned, the radio was tuned to the "Oldies but Goodies" station. Those songs were the consistent soundtrack during chore time. It was a little stressful, nostalgic, and rewarding all at the same time.
Times have changed, and we believe cleaning shouldn't be difficult, complicated, or hazardous for children. Cleaning with safer choice natural ingredients and quality tools that effectively clean affords parents peace of mind. We believe with Powerizer in your cabinet, peace and tranquility are possible even with a house full of kiddos. It's all you need to accomplish the clean you need without the worry.
It's important to set children up for success early. Montessori schools teach kids to keep the classroom clean and tidy. Learning these expectations early also reinforces good clean-up habits that last throughout life. Here are a few suggestions for helping younger kids be productive in their chores at home.
Mix cleaning solutions for them. When making a heavy-duty cleaning solution, we recommend pouring 1 scoop into a bottle. The scoop doesn't just drop into the opening. Instead, you must squeeze the scoop and pour it over the opening after removing the flip-top cap. This may not be easy to master for a younger child. Spillage is likely to happen. The mess is not a big deal but easily avoidable if a parent or older child prepares it instead.
- Assign age and skill-appropriate tasks. Avoid slips, spills, and falls by picking chores appropriate for their developmental skills and height. Gather all your legos and drop them into a soak bucket with Powerizer to create a non-toxic toy cleaner.
- Make a squeeze bottle for each member of the clean-up crew.
- Assign the child the responsibility of emptying his squeeze bottle in the bathroom on a specific night.
- Equipped with a checklist, coach them through one task a night the toilet on Monday, the sink and the countertop on Tuesday, and the tub on Wednesday.
- Assign chores to be completed with other well-reinforced habits like brushing teeth and while a parent is watching.
- Explain why performing specific tasks are necessary and beneficial. For example, "When you put the soap on before bedtime, the magic ingredients have time to work overnight to loosen dirt, stains and eliminate smells."
- Keep an open dialog with reminders and constructive criticism. Learning to clean is a new habit and should be encouraged, recognized, and creatively rewarded.
- Chunking chores into smaller tasks teaches everyday cleaning.
- Supervise many times until you are confident the child has mastered the task.
Parents are well aware of the terrible two's. However, teenage tantrums are far less tolerable. At this phase of parenting, having to reinforce the habit of completing chores is exhausting. Teens struggle managing their scholarly duties, social life, and extracurricular activities and may need help prioritizing chores. If chores are not reinforced early on, trying to initiate a routine for them later in adolescent years may require creativity and communication with clear expectations for completing and consequences for ignoring them.
I remember watching a friend attempt to establish chores for his 13-year-old son. His mother had a maid service that handled all the chores. His entitled lifestyle wasn't an issue at her house. She encouraged him to focus on getting good grades, at which he worked hard to keep a 4.0-grade point average. However, he struggled to wash dishes. Shoveling snow took twice as long as it should have. He lacked the skill and was given no instruction. His father didn't speak with encouraging words and demanded chores with little direction. When a bonding moment could have transpired, resentment festered instead.
The first tip would be to adjust the parenting style to share shoveling snow to ensure he understands the proper form. Share pointers before, during, and after. Wear gloves; without them, blisters are expected. Wear proper shoes to avoid falling. Layer up because eventually, you're going to shed layers. Shoveling snow is a workout. You're going to get hot. A part-time parent expecting perfection from his kid begins to drive a wedge in the relationship.
Simple cause, effect, and affect reminders help set expectations for completing chores. Because you didn't do this, this is the outcome. Now that behavior caused this reaction. We were late, you missed soccer practice, your uniform wasn't clean, you misplaced your batting glove, etc. It's essential to address concerns immediately while the situation is still fresh.
Regardless of the task, PowerizeIt! Make it simple, make it easy, make it safe. Our Microfiber Mop is excellent for tackling floors and other hard surfaces that require reaching low and high. A 6-pack of Ultra Plush Microfiber Towles are a must-have for cleaning and polishing surfaces. These tools along with a Non-toxic kids and pet cleaner makes cleaning less stressful, more manageable, and rewarding for everyone.
