A Guide to Getting Kids of All Ages Involved
Involving kids in chores may not be the most efficient, but it is important. Kids need to learn the basic skills of cleaning, and they also need to understand the importance of caring for the things we’ve been entrusted with. So here are a few simple, age-appropriate suggestions for getting your kids in the spring-cleaning game …
#1 Make a List
- Make it pretty, fun, exciting! Think poster, markers, and stickers!
- Divide the list into lots of small, age-appropriate jobs. The more items that can be crossed off, the better. It keeps everyone motivated and feeling like progress is being made.
#2 Mark Off Completed Chores
- Create a system to mark jobs complete: crossing off with markers, placing small stickers on the chart next to the completed task (like gold stars), checking a box.
#3 Make It Fun
- Keep it short, not an all-day marathon. Teenagers might be able to work for 2-3 hours. Toddlers will need a much shorter window of time. If you need to do a couple sessions, no worries, you have all spring!
- Blast really fun music.
- Jazz up your workers by singing along to the music or stopping them for a 30-second dance party.
- Be intentional about jumping in and helping your kiddos throughout the cleaning session.
- Get everyone matching bandanas or aprons.
- Provide fun snacks that they don’t usually get to eat.
#4 Plan a Reward
- Reward everyone for their hard work—family movie night, dinner out, take them for ice cream, or cold hard cash.
