House Cleaning - Getting the Family Involved

Whether daily, weekly, or monthly house cleaning tasks are necessary, they take time and energy to complete. When one person is responsible for everything, no matter what the size of the space or the level of clean needed, it can be overwhelming. Instead of one person taking responsibility for all of the tasks, consider delegating to get the job done more efficiently. Getting everyone involved isn't always easy, but the benefits are well worth it.

Establishing an Allowance

One of the best motivators for kids is money. They can think of a list of things they want to have, including anything from a candy bar at the grocery store to a new video game. These things cost money and what better way to help them save up than establishing an allowance? While having them help out with the house cleaning, they are also learning about money, how it works, and how to save.

Each person should be given a weekly allowance. In order to receive the allowance, certain tasks need to be performed. When deciding on the house cleaning tasks and the amount of money earned, take each person's age into consideration. A five-year-old does not need fifteen dollars a week and probably will not be able to scrub the bathrooms or wash the car. Choose money and tasks that are appropriate for the child.

One of the best parts about an allowance is the ability to make changes to the system. For example, if one person does not want to participate, that is no problem. If someone else handles his or her tasks, they are given the money. With siblings being as competitive as they are, this will not happen too often.

Clean First, Then Something Fun

There are all sorts of opportunities for families to have fun together or separately. If a picnic is planned for the upcoming weekend, it is fair to tell everyone that the house cleaning needs to be done first. This ensures that everyone is able to enjoy the picnic instead of worrying about coming home to a dirty house. Sometimes, this is a little more difficult to enforce, as it seems that everyone suffers if one person does not participate. However, it is possible to take away individual events and opportunities, if the work is not done.

Again, the lesson is not just about house cleaning and helping out the family. It is also teaching responsibility and delayed gratification. After a time or two of losing the opportunity to do something fun, kids will come around to the idea of helping out around the home. These ideas take time to put into practice, but once established, smooth sailing is ahead.