Getting kids and spouses to participate in organizing the house is sometimes like herding kittens – nearly impossible. UNLESS…you make it fun. Here are some ideas to get everyone in the household to pitch in and organize the chaos.
Less Mess Cards
One fun way to get kids to help out is to use the Les Mess cards (see link below). Each card has a simple activity and a time associated with it. For example, one card says:
“30 to 60 minutes.
Organize your toys, then you may play with them if your parents say it’s ok.”
Give them a try – it will make cleaning up a fun thing to do with your kids.
The Commercial Clean
Every time you watch TV this week, use the two-minute commercial breaks to make a little headway on kitchen cleanup. Arm everyone who is watching TV with a sponge. At the start of every commercial break, head into the kitchen and scrub one thing. By the end of the evening, you should be in much better shape than you started – and you still got to enjoy your shows!
Make a To-Do List
The best way to start establishing habits is by seeing them written down and organized on a list. Keep your list handy. Now, take items off your list and create a list of things that can easily be done by a family member and ask them to complete the task. Sometimes getting things done is all in the asking.
A Home for Everything
It sounds so obvious, but you’d be surprised at how often this little thing is overlooked. Your family cannot put things away if they don’t have a place to go. Work with them to choose some fun (inexpensive) shelves, cubby holes, bookcases or storage boxes for their things. Work with them to figure out how to label the boxes (let the kids pick silly names — anything to make it fun!) and decorate the labels you make for each shelf. The more involved the family is in the process of establishing the structure, the more invested they will be in the process of staying organized.
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