Clothes in balls and toys lying around in every room… Clutter (and cleaning) can be a source of discord between parents and children. Here are 10 little tips to make your life easier.
Restrict access to toys
You don't release a new toy until the other toys are put away. Here is the golden rule! Not always easy to instill - be prepared to repeat - but when she is she will save everyone hours and hours of housework. Simple and easy: your children will thank you (a lot) later!
Express baskets
Prepare a basket for each family member and place them in a strategic place. Whenever a family member finds something lying around, they put it in the basket of the person who owns it. Before the story, we make sure that all the toys are stored in the owners' respective rooms!
Make a list
Everyone has their own definition of the word “tidy up”: if the shoes piled up in the entrance horrify you, it may not be the case for the other members of the family. Same thing for the youngest room. Make a list with your child. He can then refer to it to ensure that he has done all his tasks. If he's not reading yet, draw pictures! Learning how to store properly takes time and explanations. Prepare to repeat, while remaining understanding.
Setting up a tidying up routine
No one likes wasting hours tidying up a messy room, so set up a daily tidying up routine. Indeed, a few minutes a day are enough to have a clean and tidy environment. Plus, it's a good habit to get into. Of course, a big cleaning will be necessary from time to time, but you will avoid the cataclysm and save yourself endless hours of tidying up!
Several separate storage spaces
In the children's room, plan several separate storage spaces. A library for books, chests of drawers, cubes, chests… And boxes! Each of the boxes will be reserved for this or that toy. And to encourage your kids even more, invite them to decorate their storage boxes and drawers themselves!
Stopwatch
Speed contests, most kids love it! So, when it's time to tidy up the room, we take out the stopwatch! Well, it is also necessary that the cleaning is well executed otherwise… we start again and we lose time. He can try to beat his last record time, that of his brother or sister. You can also, of course, compete against your child! To yourmarks, ready…
Music
The music uplifts the soul, they say: it also turns out to be a great housekeeping companion, right? Indeed, vacuuming with your favorite singer not only lightens the task, it makes it enjoyable. Put on some music your child likes and tidy up with them, singing and dancing. There's a good chance he'll want more, once the chore is over!
Never too soon (or almost!)
good habits are learned early and invite your child, even if he's young, to tidy his room with you, every night, before go to bed. At first, he will watch you do it, but gradually he will also get involved. Complement task with a nursery rhyme.
We congratulate
Appreciate your child: go see his room afterwards and congratulate him on his good work! By knowing that you are happy and proud of him, he will be too and will have another good reason to clean up next time (maybe even without you having to ask him!)
Lead by example
And, of course, try as much as possible to lead by example. Subway, work, sleep: we are all tired when it comes time to clean up. Still, try to get to work with a smile. Our children imitate us. If they feel that this chore is weighing you down, they too will tend to indulge in it reluctantly.
