Summer is officially here, and half of my family is home full-time. Since I work out of my house five days a week, I can’t use my lunch hour to tidy or throw laundry into the washer/dryer. However, I can get my kids more involved in cleaning. The more hands to help, the better.
My kids are 5 and 9 (soon-to-be 10.) They are fully capable of helping around the house. Obviously, there are age-appropriate chores they should be doing, but I think 2020 caused them to conveniently forget what they are able/not able to do.
If you haven’t already, I suggest checking my Spring Cleaning Checklist – it can be applied to summer. And then continue on with the below tips.
Chores Your Kids Can Help With:
Laundry. my kids each have their own laundry bags. They are expected to put clothes in the bags. My washer and dryer set is programmable, so I can time things if I’m not going to be home during the day.
Dishes. we are all responsible individuals and can keep up with putting dishes in the sink or dishwasher – at the bare minimum. I don’t tolerate the cups strewn about the house, and I’m fortunate my kids don’t really eat or drink in their rooms.
Papers. Paper is still the bane of my existence. I try to recycle things as soon as I no longer need it. If you aren’t on auto-bill pay, see if you can sign up. I don’t like junk mail (and try to not even bring it in the house! I handle that outside at our recycle bin.) My daughter’s artwork can be recycled after an allotted amount of time.
Clear the surfaces. Every day, clear surfaces. We have a living room table that is notorious for clutter, and before the kids go to bed, I try to redirect toys and tiny objects to their respectful places.
Vacuum. Now that we’ve had our cat for 8+ months – and she is no longer fully hiding from us – I’m realizing just how much cat hair is floating around. I’m always vacuuming. I really want a robotic vacuum. My kids would also love a robot vacuum. It’s so easy to turn on and let it do all the work! The Neato robot vacuum is D-shaped, therefore allowing it to reach corners more easily than a round vacuum. This is mind-blowing to me, and so needed in my house. (Also? UNDER the beds and couches! Luna loves spending her time under things. Do you know how hard it is for me to vacuum under those spaces??)
The Neato D8 is only $299! You can find these at some retailers, but in this day of online shopping, just go that route and thank me later.
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