The Do's and Don't's Of Getting Your Children Involved In The Cleaning

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It’s easy to think that the best way to get your cleaning done around the house is to get the children well out of the way. However, it can actually be very beneficial to both of you to get them involved. Here are the do’s and don’t’s you should keep in mind when making your home spick and span!


DO help them develop good cleaning habit

Good habits are like good manners; they don’t just develop overnight! Instead, they take time to teach, to soak in and then to become autonomous. Teach your children good cleaning habits from as young as you feel appropriate. That being said, there is no such thing as too late to start. Make it known that you expect them to wash up their plate after they finish eating. Get them into the habit of putting their shoes in the shoe cupboard, not on the floor. These things will eventually stop being ‘rules’ and just become a part of normal life. These habits of being clean and tidy won’t just help you out; they’ll serve them well for the rest of their lives. And, hopefully, when grandchildren arrive, they’ll pass these habits onto them too!

DON’T get them involved in complex, professional jobs

Leave the complicated jobs to the professionals, and be sure your children leave them to it also. Some things, like mold remediation, can actually be quite dangerous to be in the presence of. If you have cleaners over doing a job of this nature, be clear that they’re to be left alone. Distract them with something else if you’ve got curious little ones!

DO get them involved in the fun jobs as well

It can be really tempting to give the jobs you like the least to your teenagers or older kids. Come on; we’ve all done it! But by giving them their share of the more enjoyable jobs, you’re teaching them that cleaning can be therapeutic and even kinda fun. A great example of this is cleaning up the garden shed. You could turn it into a big project, and turn it into a den for them.

DON’T let them handle chemicals

For most cleaning jobs, the presence of chemicals is only needed for one stage of the job. Taking loading the dishwasher for example. Your kid can be in charge of loading in everything except the knives and forks. At the end, you can step in, do the cutlery and pour in the dishwasher liquid or insert the cleaning tablet. As you can see, there is no reason they need to handle dangerous chemicals.

DO make a fun environment

There is no reason good cleaning can only occur in absolute silence. Make the atmosphere a bit more fun by putting on the radio. Or, take it in turns with them to play a different song from a pair of speakers. If you’re doing a big, full-day clean, keep energy up with some treats and snacks. Have something to work towards at the end of the day, too. So, for teenagers, you could agree to take them to the cinema that evening if you finish at least five rooms together that way. That way, they are accountable for what happens that night, and will have something to look forward too.