Running a household needs to be a team effort. Gone are the days when one person had sole responsibility for all the chores. In today’s world, the entire family needs to pitch in. Sometimes, though, that is easier said than done. How can you get your entire family to help out with the chores? Well, thankfully, there are a few fail-safe ways that can help you keep the house clean as an entire family. You can make it fun, you can make it a challenge, and you can make it a meaningful way to bond as a family. Here’s how it’s done.
Make it Fun
If you want your kids to get involved with the housework, then you need to try and find a way to incentivize them to do it. You need to make it fun. Try to turn it into a game by making them go around the house and see who can spot the most areas of the house that need cleaning. You can also have them race to see who can clean up the fastest.
Don’t be afraid to get really imaginative when you’re trying to get your kids involved in the housework. You’ve no doubt already experienced having to do things like this with other mundane aspects of life. Given that, according to US News, only 30% of people say that they floss every day, you’ve likely had to turn your kid’s dental hygiene routine into a game. You can take those principles and apply them to housework.
Keep Track of the Issues in Your House
Before you get your family involved in the housework, you should take stock of the issues in your home. Some problems will be far too big for the kids to be involved in, and some of them may even require expert help to clear up. According to Gintux, water leaks are a problem for around 15% of all homes in the United States. Problems like these are, of course, not suitable to involve the family in.
Break down the smaller problems into a few tiers. This way you can assign all the child-friendly tasks to your family while the grown-ups get on with all the most demanding or potentially hazardous tasks. Plumbing jobs should always be handled by a professional. According to Plumbing Manufacturers International, the average American family of four goes through 400 gallons of water a day. Your family won’t have a good time if they run out of water, so get plumbing problems fixed promptly.
Keep Everyone Safe
Getting the family involved in the cleaning work has so many benefits. It helps instill a sense of work ethic and it helps you bond as a family over shared tasks. That said, there are some cleaning tasks and supplies that children should go nowhere near. Anything bleach-based is an obvious no, and you should try and keep the tasks you assign to your children as safe and easy as possible. If your children are under a certain age, then it is probably best to wait until they are a little older before giving them any cleaning jobs.
Fun For All The Family
A family that cleans together is going to be happy and cohesive. Having shared jobs will bring you closer as a family and give you shared responsibilities and goals to work towards. As long as you can keep the activities fun, then your entire family will feel involved and engaged in the housework. Nobody should be forced to do all the household labor in their home together, so getting the rest of the family involved is a brilliant way to share the load and give you some time off.
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