Once your babies have become not-so-little, and they reach an age where they could feasibly help you out around the house, how can you engage them and make it fun, without coming up against moans and groans? Whether it’s the big pre-Christmas clean, a Springtime freshen up or just needing a bit of a hand on a Sunday afternoon, here are some tips and tricks we’ve found can help to get the mini-army on your side!
Playlists
Sit down together and ask your kids to each choose a few songs to add to the cleaning playlist. It could be from a favourite film, the theme song to their current favourite TV show – get creative and spend 10 minutes putting a fun playlist together. Once you connect to a speaker and hit play, the dancing will begin, and the mood will instantly lift!
Give them autonomy
Kids love nothing more than independence. If they’re sweeping up, give them the broom. If they’re dusting, let them choose a microfibre cloth or wear the big, funny rubber gloves. Little things like giving your kids a decision of their own can help them to feel important, grown up and part of the decision-making process. You’re changing the narrative – they’re not being forced to help, they’re dusting the lounge with the green cloth they chose because green is their favourite! You could even offer them two jobs and ask whether they would prefer to water the plants or shake the rugs out, while you whip round with the Steam Cleaner and sanitise the bathroom. Obviously, any chemicals or detergents are not suitable to be used by children, but anything safe for their age group, independence is key.
Races
Siblings are competitive! Set a timer on your phone with some fun countdown music and set your kids mini-challenges. Who can pick up the most clothes off their floor in 30 seconds and put it in their laundry hamper? If Archie is putting all the colouring pencils and pens back in the box and away, and Ava is putting all the soft toys back in their baskets, then maybe you can fold some washing or save time by using a hard floor sweeper to combine sweeping and dusting the hallway in one. See who accomplishes the most in 2 minutes!
Age appropriate
You might have a wider gap in age between your kids, so to prevent any protests of chores being ‘unfair’, make sure to positively frame the decisions. For example, if your daughter is old enough to use a lightweight cordless vacuum like the AIRSTORM1, let her know it’s because she is strong enough and trustworthy enough to use the vacuum all by herself. If you have a tiny tot, ask them to press ‘start’ on the washing machine once you have loaded it up, so that older kids see that everyone, even little Freddie, is pitching in.
Rewards
Now, there might have to be some kind of reward system to ‘encourage’ your little helpers! We’re not saying you have to reward every chore with mountains of pocket money if that doesn’t suit your family or the kids’ age group, but you could create a really simple sticker chart. Add coloured stars to your calendar, showing that Olivia dusted on Tuesday and maybe Finley fed the cat on Thursday, and they both brought school laundry down on Friday, so they might have earned a movie night on Saturday. Their pick of the film, snacks and one extra hour past bedtime! Small rewards make for happy kids, and a clean house makes for happy grown-ups. Happy cleaning!
Happy cleaning!
If you have any top tips, share them in the comments below or Tweet us @EwbankLtd using the hashtag #MeandEwbank.
Read more of our how-to guides, for information on cleaning hints and tips and using your Ewbank products.
