The summer break started today officially, and from now on, expect to see your children at home most of the time in front of screens. In addition to the not-so-hidden idleness, having the kids at home adds extra meal preparation and cleaning for parents. This means piles of dishes that could rival a restaurant at peak hour, dirt, snack leftovers, and more.
However, keeping the house clean during the summer doesn't have to be such a complex task. Instead of getting frustrated by the mess, you can make it light-hearted and involve all family members in various cleaning tasks, each according to their age. This will ease your burden, get the kids off the screens, give them a sense of meaning and responsibility, and might even be a bit fun.
We’ve gathered some tips from Miran Buzaglo, Touch’s brand ambassador, to help you enlist the kids for cleaning the house:
1. Start with the Basics: Explain to the kids how important it is to keep the house clean and how enjoyable it is to enter a tidy home with the scent of cleanliness. Then, try to instill habits of clearing the table – this can become a family task. After every meal, each child clears their plate to the sink. You can also ask them to put some dish soap and water on the plate and rinse off the food leftovers. They can even wash the dishes themselves – and even if the floor gets a bit wet the first few times, it will pay off in the long run.
2. Involve Them During Dishwashing: While you are washing the dishes, let the kids divide the task of wiping the table and cleaning the dining area (under the table). While one child takes a cloth and wipes the table, they can use wet wipes for general cleaning; the other child can sweep or vacuum under the table.
3. Assign Room-Tidying Tasks: Ask each child to tidy up their room – give them a set time for the task and specify duties within tidying the room. They can prepare all the toys for laundry, organize the desk and wipe it with a damp cloth, or change the bedding and get the room ready for mopping.
4. Make Cleaning Fun: Turn the cleaning task into an enjoyable activity by incorporating games. For example, ask them to put toys of the same color into a box, give them a spray bottle with dish soap and water, and let them clean dust off the toys (there’s no child who doesn’t love spraying with a spray bottle).
5. Give Preferred Tasks: Kids, for example, love playing with the vacuum cleaner, so let them vacuum the floor. Show them how to vacuum properly and allow them to vacuum the house. You can take advantage of hot days and pour some soapy water on the balcony floor for them to wash it. Squeegeeing the water turns from a chore into a real experience.
6. Allow Cleaning Without High Expectations: If you’ve let the kids clean the windows with the spray bottle, bear in mind there will be streaks. What’s most important is that they will try, learn, and participate in household chores, giving them a sense of capability, belonging, and significance.
7. Add a Fun Element: While doing the chores, play some music the kids like and turn the whole cleaning session into a celebration.