Cleaning Tips for Kids + Printable Chore Chart
post by Melissa
We’ve been working hard at our house in keeping it clean and teaching Calla how to do her part. With Poppy crawling and pulling up on everything it’s that much more important to keep a tidy home. Which is why it’s crucial to make cleaning fun and safe. We’re thrilled to team up with The Honest Company to share ways to help kids learn to clean up. We’ve created a printable chore chart that works for our families and hope that it helps yours too!
Read more for free printable and our kids cleaning tips.
It’s been fun to see Calla, who is five, take on more responsibility around our house. She’s a big sister now and loves her role of teacher and protector. But she’s also serious about keeping the house safe for her little sister. We’re in full-on baby proof mode here. I want the house to be safe in more ways than one. We love using The Honest Company’s cleaning supplies. They are non-toxic. I feel good using them and I feel good letting Calla use them as well. Using eco-friendly Honest products helps keep our home healthy. They have made it easier and less expensive than it used to be to create a green home. We use their multi-surface cleaner (Calla’s favorite because it smells like grapefruit!), bathroom cleaner, their window cleaner, floor cleaner and dish soap.
I’m sharing some tips to get your kids cleaning, that trust me, I arrived at after much trial and error. Hope these tips below help create a healthy cleaning routine for your kids. And hope you love using this chore chart printable (click here for chore chart printable) as much as we do. It certainly has helped us.
1. Set reasonable expectations.
I learned early on that you can’t expect a child to clean their entire room, put away all their laundry and sort their toys all at the same time. I don’t like cleaning that way, so I can’t expect my child to achieve all of that on a Saturday morning. So set reasonable expectations. How about starting with making their bed and cleaning up all their toys off the floor. And be specific with the tasks you assign. With younger kids, tell them for example that all the cars go in the brown basket.
2. Make cleaning fun.
Put on the music, turn it up and get cleaning. When Sara and I were young, we would put on our dad’s Supremes records and dance our way through the family room dusting up a storm. That was fun and it was still cleaning. I will set a cleaning goal with Calla, like picking up everything off the floor, putting everything away where it belongs then turn up the music and get out the mop. I admit we’ve been listening to Annie while mopping lately. Whatever works, right? Now she asks if it’s time to mop.
3. Teach responsibility.
Kids are never too young to learn about responsibility, just put it in their terms. Taking care of their toys is the same thing as taking care of their home. The ‘teach’ in teaching responsibility is key. Show them how to do each task you are asking them to do. Show them how to fold their shirts first. And fold the first five times with them. Then they will get the hang of it and be proud to show you their accomplishment.
4. Set a good example.
This one I admittedly am working hard on. But if your kids see you keeping your room clean, they will want to keep their room clean.
5. Clean house, clean mind.
Keep it positive when giving your kids cleaning chores. You want them to associate a clean home with a clean mind. Don’t be afraid to tell them how a clean kitchen counter helps you cook a better dinner or that a tidy floor in the family room makes you feel happy.
6. Family rewards.
We use our printable chore chart. After we have a few successful weeks, we do something fun as a family to celebrate. I learned this from a friend, an incentive doesn’t have to be a new toy, it can be a date night with mom or going out for pizza with the whole family.
Hope these tips and free chore chart printable (click here for chore chart printable) helps keep your home healthy and clean.
Thanks to The Honest Company for sponsoring this post. We applaud their mission and the support of their current charitable partner, Baby2Baby.org. As always, our opinions are solely our own. Thanks so much for supporting the brands who make this blog possible.
Photos by Melissa Fenlon and Alex Fenlon. All rights reserved.
Oh, great pictures, I wish my kids were that cooperative! Thanks for the tips!