Turn Cleaning into a Game

This is a particularly easy thing to do if your children are young; if they are teenagers there’s a little bit more required.

But young children will love to help you clean if they think that cleaning is a game! Call your children together and give them each a task to do. Make the tasks fairly comparable so there won't be any arguments.  Count to three and give them 10 minutes to do the job. The tighter the time frame, the more excited and motivated they become.

Jobs such as packing away clothes, picking up things off the floor, putting toys back into boxes are all small but extremely helpful activities that create a cleaner, organised home. When they finish, applaud them for a great game and always reward them both with a small prize. It could be as small as a marshmallow or bigger, like a trip to the park. But regardless of the ‘prize’, don’t forget to tell them how wonderful it makes you feel that they have helped and smiled while they did it! Appreciation goes a long way, even at an early age.