Kid's Cleaning

Summer is in full swing, seems like it's just flying by and soon we'll be preparing for school. Summer is a great time to implement new routines before the hectic pace of the school year. At our house we've been implementing a new chore and cleaning routine both for Mom and for kids. A friend introduced me to the "FlyLady" and her system of cleaning. You can go to www.flylady.net for more information,but be prepared for the avalanche of e-mail if you sign up, you might just want to check the web site daily. Anyway, the kids are now wiping down the counters of the bathrooms daily and we've implemented a 15 min cleanup after dinner of the toy areas and bedrooms which has really cut down on weekly cleaning time and kept the house looking tidy. I've also started doing one load of laundry a day from start to finish. My laundry room has never looked this clean - ever and our laundry isn't wrinkled - who knew. The kids are also getting used to daily putting their clothes away.

Teaching kids to clean can take more time at the beginning than you're prepared for but it's so important for teaching kids responsibility. Last week my Grandmother came for the twins 5th birthday two days early (and of course I wasn't prepared), the kids were able to fully clean her bathroom for me while I made her bed. They were so happy to be able to help prepare for company and proudly announced what they had voluntarily done when Grams arrived. I buy windex wipes, clorox wipes and disposable toilet cleaners for the kids to more easily clean. They also are in charge of cleaning the mirrors,wiping down all the appliances, dusting and taking out the trash. My good friend Sara says,"It may not be house beautiful but it's hygenic."

Start teaching your kids to clean today, it will help them and you!

Categories: parenting