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Can Pint-Sized Kiddos Be Taught To Clean?
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our biggest mess-makers were also our best cleaners? Every parent knows the struggle of keeping a clean house with young children; all you do is follow the mess from room-to-room, picking up as you go, only to do it again the following day. You can save yourself the stress, and backaches, by teaching good cleaning habits when your kids are toddlers.
Pete and Repeat were on a boat …
Kids love to do the same thing over-and-over, whether it’s watching the same movie, telling the same joke or mimicking their parents. While it may seem annoying – anyone ever heard the Pete and Repeat joke – it’s actually essential to their development.
Early childhood experts say 1-year-olds learn many skills by copying adults during their first year as imitation helps develop language and social skills. The actions toddlers most love to imitate are household activities, creating the perfect opportunity for parents to teach kid-sized cleaning.
What are some ways to teach my child to clean?
- Buy supplies or toys are that perfect for little hands. Pretend play toys are available everywhere – Target, Walmart, Amazon, etc., and ideal for kid-sized cleaning. Some of these toys are made to really work. You can find broom and mop sets made of wood and bristles so your little tikes can clean alongside you. There are even some pint-sized vacuums that really suck up dirt and debris.
- Water-down cleaning supplies. Fill a squirt gun or empty spray bottle with a solution of a water and a drop of dish soap. Let kids squirt windows and mirrors and wipe dry with paper towels. Leaves glass clean and streak free!
- Create DIY Dusters. Cover kids’ hands and arms with old athletic socks and send them off to dust around the house.
- Make cleaning a game. Give young kids grill tongs and challenge them to pick up toys and put them in a toy box or bin only using the utensils. Keep score and see who wins!
- Pump up the jam. Don’t forget the fun music to help your kids get a groove on as they boogie around the house cleaning. It’s cleaning AND exercise!
- Celebrate! Treat you and your kids to ice cream or some other indulgence once the work is done.
Save even more stress.
You can save even more stress and pain by hiring The Maids to pitch in with your cleaning routine. Don’t worry, there’s plenty of cleaning to go around so you’ll still be able to teach your kids great cleaning habits. And, by the time they’re tweens and teens, they’ll have a well-developed skill set that, bonus, helps you out along the way
