Admittedly, I wouldn’t say no to maid service, if it was free that is. Since it isn’t I have to rely on myself and my family to do the cleaning. Getting three kids to clean is a chore in itself, even when just has to do with cleaning up after themselves. Still, I’d rather have train the family to clean than pay for a maid. Plus, this way, my kids get some valuable real-life lessons, thrown in.
Routine is Everything
Establish some cleaning routines, and cleaning won’t take up so much time. It is easier to do a quick wipe of the bathrooms or kitchen than it is to scrub through layers of dirt. Yuck. Fifteen minutes in the morning and maybe again in the evening is all it should take for regular maintenance.
Another bonus of establishing a routine is that the cleaning becomes second nature as the habit becomes ingrained.
Give Them the Tools
If your kids don’t have their own laundry hamper or basket in their rooms, don’t be surprised when dirty clothes end up on the floor. Giving your family the tools they need to keep things clean is the first step. You may have to be alert to what works best for each member of your family. Sometimes just moving something like a hamper from one part of the room to the other or placing the box of trash bags next to the garbage can is all that it takes to make sure the job gets done.
Make It Worthwhile
Build in rewards for keeping things clean and completing chores. I know, a clean house is its own reward, right? Not when it comes to kids. Schedule a cleaning session Saturday morning, for example, and then take everyone out for ice cream in the afternoon, or give the kids extra TV time to show you appreciate that they completed the work without complaining.