Chores…

Are your children too young for that?

Well think about it. If you tell your children to go grab something for you then they are following directions. Following directions is key to making it work.

I remember back when I was young my mother would wake me and my sister at the crack of damn to clean on the weekends. It had to be about 6 am on a Saturday morning. I remember thinking is this woman serious right now and I don’t have school. Sometimes she wouldn’t physically wake us up it would be the noise from the loud music blasting from the living room.

Cleaning on the weekends were different from cleaning during the week. Weekends meant deep cleaning. we had to clean baseboards, cabinets and rearrange cabinets and many other things if they were out of place. The baseboards in particular had to be shining. We had a two-level apartment so we had to start on top and go to the bottom level.

We had to clean our room, the living room, kitchen and bathroom. Thinking back on it, it wasn’t much at all but it took us about a good 4-5 hours to clean the house back then. My mother was a stickler for a clean home. I guess that’s where I get my OCD characteristics from.

It seemed like torture back then, but now that my children are growing up I feel it’s good to teach them the importance of cleaning early. My daughter, 5 and son, 1 1/2 both are learning what it means to clean up after themselves and to help mommy when she needs it. Below, I will go into detail with 5 chores that your children can do around the house.

5 Chores for your Children to do:

1. Sweep the floors (living room, dining room, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom if no carpet). be sure to have a broom that’s not too heavy so your children can sweep with no issue and handle it while using the dust pan.
2. Mop the floors (living room, dining room,kitchen, bathroom). Use a regular mop head or Swiffer. The Swiffer may actually be easier for children to maneuver.
3. Wipe counter-tops/sinks/tables. Since this is young children cleaning and we don’t want them spraying chemicals in their eyes, it’s best to get disinfectant wipes.
4. Wash dishes (cups, bowls, plates). Tip: keep it simple so they don’t get hurt.
5. Cleaning their room. They should be a EXPERT in cleaning their room. My daughter struggles with her room because she acts like she don’t know where things go. I’m working with her to minimize areas to place toys because I usually end up finishing her room which will change soon.

All of these chores are quick & easy. Children watch our routines and mimic us, so why not put them to work. It’s all FUN!!

Have you been considering putting your children to work with chores? If so, let us know which chores. We want to hear your stories.