Yes, it’s THAT time of year again…time to clean out the accumulated ‘junk’ that has made its way into our life during the winter and have a fresh start for spring. It can be a daunting task as you survey closets, garages, and storage spaces that cry out to be purged and deep cleaned – especially when all you want to do is play with your kids! Why not include them in this spring rite? Make them part of the process – spend some quality time, AND get things accomplished! No, they can’t do everything – but you can put together a simple list for them to undertake while the adults deal with the big stuff – you can get through the necessary chores a little quicker and even make it fun. For families with more than one child it can become a spirited competition to see who finishes the fastest or gives away the most. In my household it always seems that when the whole family helps clean, the house stays sparkling longer and there is a tendency to know where things are instead of mom having to ‘find’ everything. Here are some ideas for little one to tackle.
Kids to Do List:
Go through toys and books, separating what is no longer used to give to charity.
Strip or make the beds.
Clean the sink (I remember being assigned this task by my grandmother when I was a child) – there is satisfaction when the fixtures shine.
Dump the small trash cans (or at least place them near the larger one.)
Go through the house and find anything that belongs to you and return it in your room.
Dust the floor/furniture/window sills.
Play some fun music and the time will fly. Praise children for doing a great job and stress how helpful they are (even if they can’t do it as well as you.) At the end of the project reward yourselves with a fun experience – a movie night with popcorn and ice cream or some time at a park. Happy clean-up!
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