I tend to be the sort of person who wants to jump in and get a project done all at once. That goes for spring cleaning too—I like to set aside a Saturday and just really get down to it—dredging closets, cleaning out cupboards, washing all the rugs and curtains, etc. BUT, I’ve learned over time that if it’s going to be a “family project”—I might have to adjust my own personal style and allow for not only a division of labor, but also a breaking up of the time.
Working on family projects—assuming that spring cleaning IS a family project—means taking into account all the different personalities, preferences and time schedules. It’s sort of like doing a group project at work, only chance are, your “teammates” might be even more temperamental. I’ve found it helps to have a master list and then divide up the jobs based on both choice and capabilities. As all of you know, “buy-in” is pretty darn important when it comes to family projects, so I’m of the opinion that it doesn’t hurt to have a little bribe or reward at the end of the spring cleaning efforts—a trip to the pizza parlor, a picnic, or an afternoon at the movies can all be good rewards for accomplishing the spring cleaning list.
However, if the tasks are being spread out over a couple weekends or even a month, you might need little rewards to keep everyone motivated along the way. Some people choose to pay their children an allowance or some sort of stipend for spring cleaning work as motivator. You’ll have to decide what works best for your family and is in keeping with your family values.
One thing that generally worked for my kids was that spring cleaning was a prelude and combined with re-decorating. It was the time to get new sheets and towels and be able to spruce up their rooms, in addition to cleaning things out. Last weekend when my middle daughter and I “spring cleaned” our living room, we also rearranged the furniture, added some fresh accessories and bought new candles. It makes it feel like a real change instead of just cleaning.
Of course, with family projects and spring cleaning, we have to take into account the actual attention span of all the participants. It may be necessary to dig in and get things done in one big chunk simply because the family members lose interest and have other things to do. Either way, organization is key—as well as keeping everything in perspective. So what if everything isn’t done perfectly or “on schedule”—it’s supposed to be about the effort and the process, right?!
See Also: Spring Cleaning Safety and What to Do After You Purge Your Closets