Housework: Clean Up Around Children or Get Them To "Help"?
I have two preschoolers and I'm yet to find the most efficient way of doing housework. Trying to find them things to do while I vacuum/mop takes more to-ing and fro-ing than the actual vacuuming/mopping which is frustrating. If I had a playroom with a TV in it maybe that would work but we have huge big open plan kitchen/dining/living room with one TV.
Today, I've got them helping a bit. Which also takes a long, long time. DD2 is sweeping up bits and bobs on her craft table but wants me to sit with her. I've picked up stuff off the floor and DD1 has done some vacuuming and is about to do some mopping.
I know to do this properly will probably take the next two hours but it feels good that we're all "in it together". Plus, obviously it's good for them to learn that they should help.
Dd helps dust and then she gets to g around with the vacuum once I have finished vacuuming so at let she feels like she is helping. She also has to pack all her stuff up from the floor to get a go at vacuuming which helps me as it gets her to tidy up her toys and gives me a clean floor to vacuum.
She also helps unpack the groceries after shopping which she is really good at and helps me hang washing on the racks out on the verandah. Some days are hard work to clean with her but as soon as I stop stressing I find we are both more productive.
I tend to find it helps if I get the bulk done so it doesn't seem like a massive task when they are asked to help. I give each child something to pick up. One did dishes/ cups etc, another picked up paper/ rubbish and the other tossed any toys into a washing basket. One floor is clear I sweep while someone vacuums up the piles. Then I steam mop.
If we are folding clothes, I get them to sort rather then attemp to fold because it frustrates me how they fold so for me I prefer they help sort and then put away their piles. The big boys have labels on their draws for items to help them put things away.
Other jobs could be putting cushions othe couch ( they always end up on the flood, even the ones you sit on!) collecting dirty washing from bathroom or around the house ( little pigs lol) ummmm I'm trying to get them to learn how to do the dish washer but I don't know if they are honestly struggling to process how to stack it or simply being "boys" but that hasn't gone too well as of yet. Oh, cleaning walls ( spot check) with nappy wipes and also had my ten yr old scrubbing the kitchen bench with a scrub brush and gumption yesterday to lift beet root stains.
My cleaning rule is either you are insi helping or outside playing. If we are cleaning inside kids are not allowed to sit watching tv or playing screen games.
Housework: Clean Up Around Children or Get Them To "Help"?
Put music on as you do it. My girls dust and clean windows and coffee table ( to the best of their ability). We sing and dance as we go. I usually get them to put their folded clothes away. I sometimes wonder if I am doing the right thing by getting them to do housework though. I don't remember doing any at their age.
I give them little jobs like Efjay, but I do the majority. My DD1 is older so her jobs are bigger/harder/more effort than DS. I only vacuum in the late arvo though so that I can mop when they're all in bed.
Liebling picks up his things, puts washing away and sweeps the floor. He puts his dirty plates etc by the sink and can help load the dishwasher. He cooks one night a week (with help - he makes excellent sauces while I boil pasta). That's about it for now. When I clean, he helps or tidies his room.
I do most of it myself. I really lack patience and struggle with housework so it can get a bit fraught when they help. I prefer to give them easy jobs that they can't do 'wrong'.
If the house needs a tidy up after DS2 has been playing I'll wait until he has his midday sleep. It's easier that way.
As a rule I like to start my weekly clean early in the day (so I'm not at it all day), so teenagers beware.... I will do everything that I hated my mother doing: I open doors and vacuum under beds at 8am on a Saturday - by then I've been up for a couple of hours had breakfast and done my other bits. DS1 knows not to complain but DSS and DSD are not so obliging. If I can see you I will give you a job to do. NEVER SAY YOU ARE BORED. DS1 will help on occasion but mostly the kids make themselves scarce. When it's busy at work and I don't have time I will write out a list - they can pick and choose to do whatever chores they want and check them off the list.
I've also started with getting DS2 to help tidy up his toys. They are expected to do it at childcare so I try to do it at home too.
But what Zazou said.... I also lack patience and I like things done my way (which I deem the "proper" way of doing things ).
For the end of the day pack up or the in between pack up where we need to put away toys before getting any more out, I put on the Mudcakes song "Pack up time". It is such a fun energetic song and the kids race around trying to put away all their things before the song ends.
I don't really expect much from the 2 year old but her older sister (5yrs) is expected to be able to pack away her toys unassisted. The secret for me is making sure everything has a place so that the kids can follow the order.
As for other housework, with my kids I don't expect too much from them. If they offer to help I will certainly find a small managable job that wont cause more mess than it should . They do have age appropriate tasks but at this stage I find it easier to just keep them out of my way while cleaning or do it while they are not there.
Other than that, the only thing I try to stick to when getting them to help is to make the task clear and managable, eg. can you put all the lego back on the lego table, can you find all the scraps of paper and put them in your bin, you are in charge of putting all the puzzles back in the box etc. This works so much better than a general "Clean the room!"
Seriously though, check out "pack up time" by the Mudcakes! I found it in the itunes store.
My little girl will be two in March, but I already have her "helping" me with general duties. Not because i need her help or want to put her to work, but it keeps her occupied and it sets an example of helping out. I get her to help me with the washing, she hands me all the clothes out of the basket while I hang them out, she tells me "daddy's nundies, mummies shorts, mine nundies" very cute! I also have a toy mop and broom, she sweeps and mops while I vacuum the floor, she packs away all her toys at the end of the day while we sing a song - will definitely look up the pack up time one as mentioned above, although TBH she sometimes gets distracted and stops and plays - that's OK too. I also get her to help me unpack the dishwasher by handing me the things and I pack away, again she names all the items that come out of the dishwasher, so it's a good vocab game. I figure start all this from a young age so it won't be a shock when she's old enough to make her bed and tidy her room. Her kindy teacher told me yesterday that she tidied up the whole room while the other kids ran a muck and she got a big sticker, so I can already see she understands even though she's little. As I said its more about occupying her / including her in what I am doing, if it takes longer than so be it, I would much prefer to have a good time with her doing it than have her sit and watch TV....
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Housework: Clean Up Around Children or Get Them To "Help"?
which is frustrating. If I had a playroom with a TV in it maybe that would work but we have huge big open plan kitchen/dining/living room with one TV.
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