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Growing up in a latino household meant weekends were for cleaning, eating and family. I enjoyed all three but there was one chore in particular that I dreaded: the dishes! For me it was a lengthy process that took way longer than my teenage self could handle. Now as a mom I can appreciate that my kids aren’t going to jump at the chance of washing the dishes, wiping down the counters and putting the dishes away. I get it and that’s why I’m always looking out for ways to make it more enjoyable.
It’s important for me to always have my house guest ready and because I’m a busy working mom it can sometimes be overwhelming. Having the kids pitch in on the weekend is how I survive. Below are five easy and fun ways my kids help me get the house ready for guests on the weekends.
1. Music: I grew up in a household where music and cleaning went hand in hand. It brings back fond memories and I want my kids to have the same experience so I encourage them to blast the music throughout the house. It’s a great motivator!
2. Make it a game: For my younger kids I set a timer and challenge them to see who can get the most cleaning done in 10 minutes. the winner gets to pick his chore for next week. This is somewhat similar to what me and my brother use to do only a little more fair (I always ended up doing the dishes as a kid!). When the timer is set the kids forget they’re even cleaning they’re having so much fun.
3. Multi Surface Kitchen Cleaners: I make it really simple by using Palmolive® Multi-Surface Dish Soap. I pick up one bottle at Walmart and I’m set! Palmolive® Multi Surface eliminates 99.9% of bacteria (*staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica and E. coli ((157:H7)) from dishes and hard non porous kitchen surfaces. Saves time, money and simplifies the process. It’s a must in our house.
4. Rewards: Letting my boys knows what they’ll get once they’re done makes it worth their while. I give my younger kids a later bed time on the weekends and my older boys a few dollars for coffee.
5. Select an inspector: My kids love this one! Once a week I pick a number and whoever gets closest to it gets to walk around the house with a basket and put random things they find laying out in it. Items in the basket aren’t returned until chores are completed.
I’d love to hear your tips and tricks! How do you make chores more enjoyable for your kids?
I’ve been making it a game lately with my five year old who is just starting to do chores. I’ll have to put on some music next time!
My daughter wants to help, but struggles due to developmental delays. She loves playing with dish soap though 🙂
Music and anything go hand in hand in our house. It is always on in the background and get turned up during cleaning.
I love this, let me see if it works on the boychild. Right now I just force him to do it…lol
I need to devote weekends to cleaning like you did. I am looking forward to giving that multi-surface cleaner a try too!
Great tips! I love the idea of bringing in music and making it a game. We often do this with our son!
Love the ideas! They have fun while doing their chores! Nice! #client
My kids are getting older now, and they are able to help out more at home. I feel like spending the time teaching how to do chores now will pay off later. I really like the inspector idea. They would love being able to feel like a person in power.
Rewards occassionally work with my kids. They’re 6 and 7 now. They just don’t want to pick their stuff up. It gets frusterating at times with being 34 weeks pregnant tomorrow, with having to pick up toys day in and day out.
This is a good idea!
I hear ya! When I was pregnant with Joseph it would pain me to bend down and clean up after the kids.
Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy 🙂
I don’t mind the dishes – it’s dusting I despise!!! I’ve included my kids in cleaning since they were about 3 so they are getting pretty good at it!
Love these ideas!! I used to tell my son that there was no way he was faster than me in cleaning. Now that he’s 14, I think he’s caught on to what that was all about. 🙁
Lol my older kids caught on around 15 but since they know that they don’t have e a choice they go with the flow.
My kids went through a time they loved to help now it’s a constant battle. Thank you for the ideas.
Turning things into a game around here typically works well, but I’m going to be stealing your “inspector” idea because it sounds like my kids would have a blast doing that!
You’re kids will love it! That’s the one chore that my kids fight over because they feel in control.
Rewards work really well for my boys! I totally think that getting the kids involved in chores is so important but it can be difficult. I love all your ideas and will be trying them out!