I’m sitting here laughing as I write this because the truth is I’m horrible at cleaning. Seriously, my house is ALWAYS a mess (consider yourself warned in case you ever drop in on me). In some weird backward way I thought this would qualify me to write some quick tips on cleaning. But don’t worry, these aren’t tips on HOW to clean but tips on how to OCCUPY YOUR KIDS while YOU clean.
On a good day I’m cleaning with my two youngest (ages 11M and 2.5 years) while my older two are in school. Since it’s June, that’s over – school’s out for summer!
So as I battle the summer months, I would like to remind myself and share with you some things that I have found that have helped me get what needs to get done around the house when that house is full of kids.
1. If you have a baby – wear him/her. This was NOT the fad when I had my first…or even my second. Carriers were hard to come by and uncomfortable. But when babywearing became a huge craze, with it came more ergonomic weight distributing carriers. Pick your favorite (mine are the Ergo or Bjorn Air) and wear your baby for fun things like vacuuming and mopping. I don’t recommend wearing them while doing dishes…unless they need a bath and then bonus – two birds with one stone!
2. If you have a toddler – engage them. This may require 5 minutes of prep work but often results in hours of entertainment. I almost always start them out water color painting on free printable coloring pages (print and make your own coloring book for them that’s fresh and new) while I do picking up. This also keeps them from dumping out new toys while you are frantically picking up what is already out. When they get tired of that, have them help. My girls love cleaning with wipes. I give them baby wipes and have them go at wiping down toys and their favorite – the dining room chairs. My 4-year old loves things “shiny” so I encourage her to participate by asking her to be my “shiny” maker. Her job is to make everything she can find “shiny”. She loves the responsibility at her age. Find the best angle that works with your kids and take full advantage!
3. If you have older kids – put them to work! There is never too young of an age to teach children responsibility. From using the dust pan to emptying the dishwasher (don’t forget to run it first), there are tons of things kids can be taught and asked to do that teach them to function as part of a cohesive family unit. Our house doesn’t run smoothly unless everyone helps 🙂
