What kids can do in the household and how to make cleaning fun

Kids copy everything adults do. We can make use of this fact when it comes to household chores. Because: what to do with kids while we’re cleaning? We need to keep our little ones occupied – without letting them make a mess after we’ve just cleaned. Solution: we can simply integrate them into the process. This not only contributes to a peaceful family life but also teaches them to take over responsibility. Here’s how to make cleaning fun for kids.

Kids and a clean and tidy home don’t go together? The opposite can be true if children are integrated into the cleaning process early on. Depending on their age, kids can take over some tasks in the family household – be it tidying up their room, clearing the breakfast table, or even vacuuming the living room. Key is to let go of perfectionism and to appreciate and reward your kids’ effort. Oftentimes, that’s all it takes. But, of course, it is not always this easy. Here are some tips on how to get your kids onboard with household chores.

Let’s face it: there are tasks we like more than cleaning. Do you roll your eyes or complain about cleaning a lot? Never forget that you are under constant observation, and that your kids love to copy everything you do. When complaining about cleaning or postponing chores your kids might do the same in the future. Trying to establish cleaning as a positive or neutral concept can help. How about this: cleaning is something that needs to be done to make other activities possible, e.g., a cosy movie night after cleaning the living room. Let children understand that by helping with some small chores, they free up shared quality time to play or cuddle. That’s a win-win for everyone.

Of course, toddlers’ and small kids’ contribution might be relatively small. But they can still be involved in the cleaning process. Assigning age-appropriate tasks is key. Even toddlers and very young kids can already play their part by putting dirty towels in the hamper or finding and sorting matching pairs of socks from washed laundry. With small handheld vacuum cleaners, kids can even take over some vacuum cleaning tasks. Kids a little older – from about six to eight years – can take over some more advanced tasks and be a real help in the household. Loading and unloading the dishwasher or vacuuming their rooms are perfect tasks for school kids. Older children (nine or older) might already be able to prepare or cook basic meals or sort and take out the trash. Especially small children will be proud to be part of and contribute to these important “adult missions”. Distributing age-appropriate tasks and praise will make them associate the chore with positive feelings of accomplishment and pride. Rewarding kids for their work is another way to enhance your kid’s motivation. These rewards don’t necessarily have to be money or gifts. Never scrimp on praise – by explaining them how important their chore is and thanking them for taking care of it.

“One small step for a parent – one giant leap for a kid.” If you ask your five-year-old to help tidy the living room, this simple request might sound as complex and overwhelming to him as a lunar mission. Instead, ask him to pick up everything that’s laying on the floor loosely and collect it in a box. This breaks down the chore into an easily understandable and processable task. This approach avoids misunderstandings and leaves space for small moments of success.

Integrate small daily cleaning and tidying routines into your morning or evening routines – just like showering or brushing your teeth. For example: no toys lay on the floor before we go to bed in the evening. Or: we quickly make our beds before we have breakfast in the morning. This keeps the total chaos lower and saves time on your weekly cleaning routine. For the more in-depth cleaning routine it can be helpful to set cleaning times together. Meaning: everyone has a task and we are all in it together. Playing music and singing along makes the team task even more enjoyable – and seeing the mutual result is so satisfying.

The easiest way to bring your kids to clean or tidy up? Make it fun! Children love to play and make games out of everything. Why not use this to playfully make cleaning fun?

➔ Games
Whether its role play, board games, or pure fantasy: kids love to play. These games are not only fun but also leave the house tidier and cleaner than before. Here are some examples:

• Hunting dust ghosts: equipped with a powerful vacuum cleaner, we go on an exciting hunt for ’dust ghosts’ that spook around the house. Every dust bunny, every crumb could be a ghost – so we better be thorough!
• Sherlock Home: detective Sherlock Home needs our help to arrest all household criminals. Armed with a laundry basket we put stray belongings into custody and take them back to where they belong.
• Moby Dish: Moby Dish, the hungry dishwasher, is very hungry. His favorite meal? Dirty dishes! Let’s fill the friendly giant’s empty stomach with our used dishes to feed him.

➔ Clean up songs
Music and singing makes everything more fun, doesn’t it? You can find dozens of different clean-up songs online that make cleaning fun and can help your kids to stay focused on the task. Let’s sing along together while cleaning and show our kids household chores can be as easy and fun as singing a little song.

The most important tip, however, comes last: take it easy. No one can always have a smile on their face while wiping floors or doing laundry. Just as well as there will be days where the above tips just won’t work their magic. Family life is wild and loud and colourful and sometimes messy. And that’s perfectly fine. But with these tips and tricks at hand, you are well equipped for a (mostly) clean and cosy home and more quality time with the family.

To keep your big household clean as a family task, Bosch offers the right helping friend for different dirt situations. Check Bosch’s powerful and flexible vacuum cleaners – there are variants for tackling extra strong cleaning demands. Furthermore, the cordless Bosch Unlimited 7 variants offer maximal performance and unlimited flexibility. For cleaning in between, you can easily use the quick stand function and vacuum just with the handheld of the Unlimited. There is a suitable appliance for every home.