Kids are messy. But parents also make the same mistakes all the time. They are used to clean up after their kids just because it’s faster. Yet, kids should be learned to clean as they are taught to read, for instance. Some skills can’t be invented; they just should be taught. This can be done in different ways. Some people use rewards for every done chore. Moreover, they have chore charts with rewards for every type of chore. It’s a very good method, but not all parents agree with it because according to them kids should have a sense of belonging to the family and be able to take responsibilities without receiving something in return.
However, there are ways to teach your kids to clean without the necessity of giving rewards or punishments. The key point in those learning systems is consistency. Kids just need enough time to adjust.
Even though kids and a clean house don’t always go hand in hand, they could learn some basic cleaning skills. Specialists in the field recommend to parents to teach their kids some of these chores.
1. Doing Laundry
For the majority of parents, this chore can be taught when kids are around the age of seven. Actually, kids as young as two years old can start learning about sorting. Actually, kids perceive this chore as a game. Even toddlers find it interesting. They can easily learn to help away clothes. When they grow up and begin going to school, they can learn to fold the laundry, and after that to begin to load and unload the washer and dryer with supervision, of course. At the age of 10, they are mature enough to take the full responsibility of doing the laundry. The conclusion is if you start teaching your kids at a young age, by the time they are in the middle school, kids will have learned the whole laundry process — from sorting to putting it away.
2. Washing Dishes
Who loves washing dishes? Even parents hate it. For everyone, this is a never ending chore. Indeed, if children are trained properly, they can be very helpful in getting the dishes done. Start by teaching them to scrape and rinse their plates. Even kids at the age of 5 are very appropriate for this chore. Seven-eight-year-olds can help with drying and putting away dishes. So by age nine children are big enough to learn how to wash different types of dishes and even how to load a dishwasher. Don’t forget to teach them the safety instructions.
3. Make The Bed
No matter how little you appreciate this chore, actually learning to do it is a valuable skill. Parents can start showing their kids how to make their beds when they are toddlers. That way, kids learn how to take responsibility and not only. It also gives them the opportunity and freedom to arrange their pillows and stuffed animals the way they prefer. This can also be an incentive for them to make their beds each morning. So bedding is important. According to their age and enthusiasm, parents should choose a bedding that is less complicated, and kids could easily make their beds. Besides, parents could also consider eliminating the extra blankets, pillows, sheets, especially if they aren’t used by the child.
4. Sweep The Floor
For parents, this chore seems like a simple thing. Kids should just drag the broom across the floor. Actually, this is not a very realistic vision. The effective cleaning isn’t so simple and requires some practice. For that purpose give your kid a broom and explain how to sweep. You will see dirt flipping everywhere in the beginning, but with the passage of time, things will get better. Learning to use a broom is a wonderful new skill. So by the age 7, kids could learn to sweep the floors. Toddlers and younger kids are yet able to hold a dust pan for a partner to sweep into. This skill also requires time.
5. Mop The Floor
For a lot of parents, this is an extremely easy task, yet it’s best suited for older, school-aged kids. They should know how to prepare the mop water, how to mop efficiently, how to wring out the mop, how to rinse the head and the bucket, and how to store the mop. Likewise, parents must give them strict instructions on how to mop the different flooring they may have at home. Sometimes, parents hand over the household chores to a cleaning company, because they are out of time. This will show kids that there is another way for the tasks to be performed. To sum up, here the key point is teaching kids to take responsibilities.
6. Removing Clutter
And here comes one of the most difficult chores even for adults. Decluttering is a skill that kids can gain from a younger age. It will definitely help them a lot when they grow up. It’s a habit that is necessary for them to carry forward in their lives. The first step in teaching the kids is letting them watch how parents declutter their own stuff. Furthermore, parents should loudly ask and answer their own clutter questions, so kids will know what to put where. Decluttering can also be used as a way to teach kids to donate unused items or to sell them, so they could save up money and buy something they want.
Contributed byhttp://www.billyscleaning.com/