Trying to keep a clean house with 4 young children can be discouraging. For example, I go around and pick up everything in the entire house only to find toys EVERYWHERE less than 5 minutes later! Dog prints cover the wood floor within hours of me scrubbing the floor by hand, little pieces of paper from scissor fun confetti the carpet, and hand/paw prints are smeared all over the glass door I just washed.Recently I decided it was time to get the kids involved with responsibilities around the house. They also have the opportunity to earn money for their work. The kids enjoy saving money up for things that they'd like to buy or do (such as buying a toy from a catalog or using money to spend at a fair). Not only are they learning to be responsible, they're also learning how to save and use money wisely. Plus, it's a big help to me when everyone does their part around the house.
2 & 3 year olds:
*Taking their dishes to the counter after a meal
*Helping clear the table of condiments
*Emptying the non-breakable items out of the dishwasher
*Washing tables
*Cleaning up their toys
*Switching laundry (My 2 year old LOVES helping with this- I pull the clothes out of the washer and she throws them in the dryer)
*Putting their clean clothes away
*Sorting and stacking clean diapers
4-6 year olds:
*Washing the kitchen table
*Dusting
*Cleaning bathroom counters with vinegar (and mirrors with Daddy's help)
*Putting away their clean clothes
*Taking out extra trash (empty cereal boxes, egg cartons, empty milk jugs, ect.)
*Carrying their plates to the sink
*Rinsing off dirty dishes
*Feeding and watering the Puppy
*Making their beds (simply pulling up their quilts over their beds)
*Vacuuming (my 6 year old is just starting to learn this one, so he just helps a little with it)
*House Sweep- Before bedtime going through the house and picking up any left out toys
My 2 year old loves to empty the dishwasher. Her sister or I help with getting the silverware in the right spots.
A very happy smile after helping MommyThe chores the kids do are just a small portion of what's involved in keeping a house organized. Even still, every little bit helps.
How about you? What ways do your young children enjoy helping out around the house?
"enjoy?" hmmm....
ReplyDeleteLet me think...
I'm still thinking...
Actually, on a rare occasion, they fight over a fun chore, like washing the porch furniture; who gets what brush, and who gets to rinse with the water hose.
You're good to start the helping habits at a very young age. When my kids help (mostly by being told), it is a great help to me, which keeps us all in a good mood.
Enjoy? I don't know... they enjoy brushing the dog; they mostly enjoy outside chores (stack wood; spring clean up; picking veg/berries); they like helping their dad clean dishes at night and they like helping me dust. My son helps his dad get things ready for the dump run and goes with him to drop it off.
ReplyDeleteThey also help fold laundry (match socks, fold dishclothes) and put some of their laundry away; they clear up their dishes from the table; they put their toys away; they feed the animals.
I think it's really important for kids to have chores and responsibilities. Mine are turning 5 & 8 in a few months, and I really want to be thinking about ways to increase what they're expected to do. I want them to be more self-sufficient in the kitchen, for example. I'm going to be doing a kitchen spring clean/reorganize, so I should keep that in mind...
Won't here me arguing against this! Expectations and responsibilities ( all being age appropriate)are a great thing. Something the mrs. and I do with our daughter. Things like that to me builder character, maturity, and manners. Working at a school I can see a vast difference between kiddo's that were raised with expectations and responsibilities and those that weren't.
ReplyDeleteoh, it's just SO frustrating to finally get one room clean only to have my 2 year old ransack it in about 3 minutes. How do such small people make such big messes? Good ideas for chores, I am going to be working on that with my boys! Thanks for the tips.
ReplyDeleteI need all the help I can get for ideas. My five year old can make a mess in five minutes!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this... My boys love helping around the house. And it makes them feel needed to have helped!! And when I praise them up and down for 'helping mom, it makes my day so much easier!!'
ReplyDeleteHey, I just seen you left a question along time ago on my cinnamon roll post... sorry, I some how missed it. I bake them and frost them then freeze. The night before we want them, i just pull them out and let thaw overnight on the counter. They are just as yummy and good that way. And we do like to warm them in the mic.
I always need help! thanks
ReplyDeletePerfect list! That's exactly what we have our almost-3 and almost-5 year olds do, too! They especially love wiping the table, putting non-breakable dishes away and changing out the laundry! They also like to fold the laundry, too. I let them and I try not to fix anything they end up wadding. I just thank them and put the clothes away! I think I'll have them start putting their own clothes away, too. That's one we don't do!
ReplyDelete