Prevailing upon the children to help with tidying the house can be a chore in itself. How many times have we moms resorted to doing all the clean-up alone because frankly, it's not worth the hassle? With a few new ideas in the mommy supply closet, however, it might not be as sweat-inducing as feared.
Here are some ideas that have met with some success around our house:
Quick bursts - Set the timer for 5 - 15 minutes (depending on the size of the task) and we focus on a particular room or project. All work as quickly as possible to see how much we can get done. Try to keep the tone light, but urgent. "Hurry, what else can we pick up?"
Reward at each break - When the timer goes off, assess your progress. There may be a couple more things to pick up or do, but try to stop as quickly as possible. Then do something fun - like the chicken dance - or pass out dimes or quarters. Stickers or M&M's are also fun and easy.
Work as a team - When everyone is working at the same time, no one feels especially put out. It's a learning process for kids to help clean up each other's rooms and closets. It feels great to give and receive help...no matter whose mess it is.
Make a game out of it - If there's more than one area to be tidied, we sometimes write them down on strips of paper and the kids take turns picking them out of a hat. Rewards for the breaks can also be drawn, adding a sense of suspense.
Visit our webiste: www.clubztutoring.com/GTA
Here are some ideas that have met with some success around our house:
Quick bursts - Set the timer for 5 - 15 minutes (depending on the size of the task) and we focus on a particular room or project. All work as quickly as possible to see how much we can get done. Try to keep the tone light, but urgent. "Hurry, what else can we pick up?"
Reward at each break - When the timer goes off, assess your progress. There may be a couple more things to pick up or do, but try to stop as quickly as possible. Then do something fun - like the chicken dance - or pass out dimes or quarters. Stickers or M&M's are also fun and easy.
Work as a team - When everyone is working at the same time, no one feels especially put out. It's a learning process for kids to help clean up each other's rooms and closets. It feels great to give and receive help...no matter whose mess it is.
Make a game out of it - If there's more than one area to be tidied, we sometimes write them down on strips of paper and the kids take turns picking them out of a hat. Rewards for the breaks can also be drawn, adding a sense of suspense.
Visit our webiste: www.clubztutoring.com/GTA
that sounds fun!!
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