Whether you are a stay-at-home or working parent, teaching your children how to clean and stay organized will improve your life and theirs. You can teach your children good cleaning habits by being neat and tidy yourself. Hanging up clothes and putting things away after you use them sets a good example for children to follow. Here are some ways to encourage your children to clean up and organize:
Decorate boxes, baskets, and plastic tubs with your children that can be used as toy storage.
Store the boxes under beds and in closets. Decorated baskets and shoe boxes also look great on bookshelves. Keep board games on shelves, small toys in small containers, medium sized toys in medium size containers, and reserve toy boxes for large items.
Cleaning before bedtime. Five minutes before bedtime, get the kids to put their “stuff” away. Praise your children for keeping their toys and books organized, and make sure to let them know how nice it is to wake up in a clutter-free home.
Storing toys. Store half of your children’s toys and switch them around every few months. This way, they can “new” toys to play with while staying organized all at the same time.
Have your children pick out toys they don’t play with anymore and so they can donate them to the Salvation Army, friends, or relatives.
Put up hooks and pegs on the backs of room door and on the insides of closet doors for quick hang-ups when the children come in.
Assign each child a different color towel and make sure they hang it up after every use. Explain that this not only keeps the bathroom clean, it saves water making your home a “greener” environment.
Let the children help in the kitchen. They can wash vegetables, set the table, clean the table, or load the dishwasher. Try not to expect perfection, but do try to praise them for helping out.
Have children listen to music while they are cleaning. If they don’t have iPods, play a cd everyone likes and take breaks to dance a bit.
Set aside a period of time each week for children to dust and vacuum their rooms, and to clean under the beds. Make sure to clean your room at the same time so you are setting a good example. Be certain to schedule quality family time after as a reward. Keeping their room clean will become a good habit and something to celebrate.
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