Getting Your Little Helpers to Actually Help

The housework shouldn’t be totally left up to you. There’s a good chance that the majority of your messes come from the kids. It’s time for them to step up and help out! Check out our tips on how to get the kids to clean up around the house.

Make it fun

Give your kiddos something to talk about. Create a game for them that’s sure to make the place shine. Need some sweeping done? Tape a circle to your floor and tell them that they have to sweep as much as they can into it. Set a timer and watch them go! There’s plenty of games out there, take a look.

Be clear

Tell your little ones right off the bat what you expect of them. Setting some clear guidelines lets them know exactly what you want and doesn’t give them a lot of room to make excuses.

Send them off with a good attitude

When you’re positive about cleaning odds are they will be too. Picking up can be FUN, at least that’s something you can tell them. If mom and dad aren’t dreading a couple hours spent doing chores then the kids won’t either. Have them look at it as family time, something you guys can do together.

“You did it!”

Words of affirmation work well for a lot people, young and old. When the kids finish a job tell them how well they did and thank them for helping you out. A “good job” here and there can go a long way.

Jam out

Music somehow makes the time past faster. Let them choose the playlist or put on a Disney soundtrack that you can all rock out to!

Reward them

This doesn’t mean you have to give them an allowance, they already live at your house for free. We recommend this mom’s trick: Change your wifi password and give it to them as a prize for cleaning their bedroom or bathroom. Remember you’ve got some leverage, so why not use it?

With the kids on summer break you’ve got plenty of time to implement some of these new ideas. Let us know if you give any of our tips a try or if you, yourself, have found a way to motivate your little helpers.