Home schooling kids is rewarding, but it can also be messy. Having children around the house all day long rather than away at school for six or more hours means that we need to clean up several times a day rather than just once.
Parents are notorious for trying to be superheroes and tend to do everything themselves. Whether it’s vacuuming, doing dishes, laundry, or cleaning the cat box, it’s often easier to just do it ourselves rather than listening to the kids moan and groan. Not to mention, we often have to prod them a thousand times before they’ll get the littlest thing done. This just leads to burnout for parents, plus a heavy dose of frustration.
A good way to handle the messes and stresses of housecleaning is to get the kids involved, but in such a way that they actually have fun or at least don’t mind helping out.
What I did with my kids while they were younger was to do the “One Song Cleanup.” This small tactic was like a mini-miracle in my life. At the end of the school day there were usually creative writing papers, art supplies, and lunch leftovers from the living room to the kitchen, and everyplace in between.
First, I made a mix CD with fast-paced fun songs my kids liked. Then, when it came time for the “One Song Cleanup” I would put on a random song and everyone would work their fastest to get the house in order again. It’s amazing how much work kids can get done within such a short period of time with high-energy music playing in the background.
This tactic works well for any type of cleaning, not just end of the school day messes. I’ll assign each child a room to work on, let the music play, and we’re off! Within three to four minutes everyone is laughing, breathless, and the house looks pretty good. Of course, it isn’t as pristine as when the parent does the work herself, and you might want to tackle the bigger cleaning jobs yourself, but it’s passable. Plus, it allows time for everyone to work toward a common goal and teaches kids responsibility.
Give the “One Song Cleanup” routine a try and you may find that your kids don’t grumble as much when it comes to cleaning. In addition, you’ll probably find that you’re far less stressed since you won’t have to nag them or clean-up everything yourself.