Although children are not the tidiest at all times, they definitely like participating in activities with the parents. With the winter thankfully coming to a close in the coming weeks, it’s time to start on Spring cleaning to get out with the old and in with the new. Every year brings new reasons to purge ourselves of the items we may not need, and often times that we may not have even realized that we still have. This is especially true for many kids items in our household, as children’s sizes, preferences, and needs change with the seasons.
As kids like participating and “helping” their parents in general, with the exclusion of many teenagers, Spring cleaning is the perfect time to have the young ones contribute and pull their own weight around the house. Here are some ways to get the kids involved that will help Mom out too:
• Have them decide what clothes need to go:
Kids grow like weeds right before our eyes, and chances are those shorts from last year won’t even button this time around. If you’ve held on to summer clothes from last year have your child help you sort through them to determine what stays and what goes. Make separate piles for each and those that don’t make the cut get taken to your local donation center of choice. This is a great opportunity to teach your kids about charity and helping others.
• Time to clean out those toys:
As we all know, children develop phases of interest—and often time infatuation. This cannot be any more true with toddlers. One year your little princess might be caught up in all things Tangled, and this year, it’s all about Frozen. Have your child help you gather all the toys they no longer have interest in and let them know that these toys will go to kids who really need them and will appreciate them very much.
• Get those gloves on, kiddos:
While your children may not be able to tuck those corners as tight, having them participate in a thorough cleaning is very beneficial to both Mom and child. This will help you to show them the way and hopefully alleviate a bit of cleaning for you. Assign your children age appropriate tasks, and think about ways to make it a bit more enjoyable. Listening to fun music while cleaning is a good way to bond, and even burn some extra calories while shaking your booty.
• Make more room in the garage:
Since our garages are obviously outside of our home, at times we neglect them and they can slowly become a place to store random things. With spring around the corner have your kids help you assess the situation with this area by determining what items of theirs they need and which ones they don’t. Creating more space while doing away with unwanted clutter is therapeutic and essential. Taking the time at least every Spring to stay on top of the garage contents will help to prevent your outside space from looking overly consumed with items you don’t really need. Make 3 separate piles; trash, keep, donate and if your kids are old enough you can even make a game out of it. Think scavenger hunt or I Spy to help get them on board.
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