Juggling keeping a clean house with the addition of having children running around your home can sometimes be a challenge. So, get them involved in the cleaning. That way, everyone is doing their bit in keeping your home clean, and they are learning too. However, there are some things you might have to watch out for when taking on the task of cleaning with your kids.
Teach children the value of cleaning up after themselves
As a parent, your children rely on you to teach them a lot of life skills, and one of these skills is tidying up after themselves. The easiest way to teach them this is to talk them through each step of the cleaning process when they’re attempting to clean their bedrooms.
This way you’re teaching them to put things away after using them, and you’re teaching them skills like dusting, removing any rubbish and vacuuming your carpets.
Declutter regularly
If your house is overly cluttered then it can cause a problem for children as they can become overwhelmed and confused as to where items should be stored. Decluttering is fairly easy, just think about how often you use specific items and whether they are sentimental or not.
If you are struggling, you can always use the Marie Kondo method and ask yourself ‘does this item bring me joy?’ If the answer is no, then either throw it away or donate it to your local charity shop. Teaching children to donate their unwanted items is also a great thing to instil in them.
Make sure that everyone in your family knows where items are stored
Your house can easily become messy when each person doesn’t know where items should be stored. If you can’t find where your item needs to be, there is the temptation to just dump it on the side and let someone else put it away. However, this then causes clutter to form in drawers and on surfaces. Take a look at the habits of your own family and then from that, decide the best place to store certain items. For example, putting mugs next to the kettle makes the most sense as those two things are most likely to be used together.
Create a routine for cleaning
You don’t have to go as far as establishing a cleaning routine every day, we know this is not practical or realistic. Instead, opt for a weekly cleaning morning or afternoon. A lot of people like to do their cleaning on a Saturday or Sunday morning. Once you’ve set aside the same time every week to do the task of cleaning, it should seem like less of a burden. Keeping up with cleaning will make it so much easier in the long run, as you’ll find each week you’ll have less cleaning to do as it was done thoroughly the week before.
Keep your surfaces clear and clean
Like we said previously if there is already a collection of items without a home on your surface, then the temptation to just dump something else with it becomes stronger. It will work as a sort of clutter magnet until you’re left with a pile of stuff that you don’t know what to do with. Prevent this by keeping your surfaces free from any clutter. In your kitchen, spray the surfaces with antibacterial spray at least once a day to keep the kitchen germ-free and hygienic to cook in.
Happy child, happy home
Getting your children involved in the cleaning process will make it miles easier. Even if they’re not old enough to properly clean, they will still learn the basic concepts of it, and when they get a little older they will be able to help you even more. Making cleaning fun for children can be difficult, but with creative thinking, this is certainly achievable.
The main thing to remember is that the routine of cleaning is there to help you, so you can plan your time to be able to spend more time with your family. If your children are happy, then your home will still be happy, regardless of whether it is sparkling clean or not.