This is the fourth installment in my series on how I’m Harboring a Warm & Peaceful Home as part of my goals for 2019. And how you can, too! You can read about My Goals for 2019 here. (They also happen to be the new mission statement for Huntress At Home.)
Let me start today off by asking you this: Are you reading this as you procrastinate on house work? Is it because housekeeping is such a headache with kids? I can’t be the only one who has made a bad habit of letting chores fall by the wayside because it’s just so difficult to do anything with a child hanging off each leg.
If this is you, I want to encourage you today. I used to wrestle so much with how to get things done around the house in this season of small children. Most of the time I would just push the chores aside and let things be a mess. As a result, my husband was stressed, I felt discouraged and jaded about my housekeeping abilities, and the kids were restless with my half-hearted attention.
And then it hit me one day. Why not combine the two?
They Don’t Know It’s Work
If there’s one thing I look forward to about my children getting older, it’s handing them more responsibilities. For a long time, I was waiting around for Jonas to actually be capable of cleaning up a mess. I wanted the chore chart hanging on the wall. I pictured him moving his little chore magnets from the “do” to the “done” column. Sigh.
But then I got off Pinterest and lowered my expectations. Cause the kid is only two.
Instead, I now do what I can when the babies are sleeping and the rest? I invite them right into the thick of it. Because here’s the thing:
They don’t know it’s work.
How beautiful is this? Their naivety works to our advantage as moms and homemakers.
I used to think that playing with the kids had to be kids + toys + focused attention. But with my revelation, I realized that anything can be a game. Housekeeping can be as much of a game to kids as anything! And I can still tackle my to do list in the midst of mothering.
My encouragement to you today is this: You CAN keep house and play with your babies. You don’t have to choose one or the other. And you don’t have to do either one perfectly. Know that your chores will take longer with kids. They will be mediocrely done at times. And that is okay! You will still accomplish more than if you avoided them altogether.
The greatest lesson I have learned since becoming a mom is to lower my expectations on all accounts. That doesn’t mean doing things half-heartedly, but allowing yourself to go with the flow.
So, whether your babies are still small or school age, here are a few ways you can get them involved in your housekeeping!
Vacuuming & Sweeping
For Christmas this year, we had some family members buy Jonas his very own Doug & Melissa cleaning set and Dyson vacuum. And he LOVES to clean! His cleaning supplies have their own special place in our coat closet. And every Friday morning I get it out for him and we vacuum together!
Every time we have crumbs to clean up, I bring him his dustpan and broom and we sweep together. He doesn’t quite have the hang of the process yet, but we are setting a foundation for good habits later!
I highly recommend getting your kids some of their own cleaning supplies! It’s a great way to start training them early!
There is one important thing to remember about this. If your kids have access to their cleaning supplies all the time (and this applies to pretty much all toys/activities), they will lose their novelty very quickly. I always put Jonas’ cleaning supplies away once we are done cleaning. I only bring his vacuum out when I myself am vacuuming. This keeps it new for him every time and turns Friday morning cleaning into a fun once-per-week activity.
Dishes
Do your kids like to climb in the dishwasher? (I’m pretty sure that’s ALL kids?? It’s like a child magnet!)
One thing I started doing was teaching Jonas to put things away when I’m emptying the dishwasher. If he gets interested enough to be pulling things out or putting things in, I redirect by showing him where the Tupperware or his own dishes go.
Put your child’s dishes in a low cabinet or drawer where they can reach them. In general, children love to please their parents and be helpful. Helping put away dishes or bringing dishes to the sink is a great way to get them involved in your housekeeping!
Laundry
My never-ending chore got a lot easier when I stopped trying to do it in spite of the kids and just let them have fun with it.
Now when I am throwing a load in to wash, I set Jonas up on the dryer and hand him things to throw in. If I am moving things to the dryer, I let him put them in.
If I am folding laundry, I don’t usually get anything folded because Jonas likes to pretend he is storming the beaches at Normandy. Nevertheless! What I typically do is fold a handful of things and put them away or at least up where he can’t reach them. Then another handful. Etc. In the mean time, we are usually wrestling in the pile of unfolded laundry and, again, he doesn’t know it’s work.
Cooking
I won’t lie, cooking is still a big struggle for me. But one thing I have discovered is that cooking goes a lot smoother if I let Jonas explore the food I’m preparing.
Chopping vegetables? Let them taste. Making grilled cheese? Let them sprinkle the cheese. Making a smoothie? Let them push the buttons. Cooking on the stove? Let them stir!
You could also invest in some fake food or a kid’s kitchen set for your child to practice with while you are cooking. Again, it’s a good idea to only pull it out when you are cooking so that the activity is on purpose.
There are a million ways to get your kids involved in the cooking process. And the best part is they are getting an education while they help!
If you want to learn how to make things even easier when it’s time to prep dinner, check out my post The Secret to Painless Cooking: Mise en Place.
Paying bills
If you need to sit down to pay a few bills, get out some paper crafts or stickers for your little ones.
Here’s another key: whatever YOU are doing, try to get your child either involved in that activity or create an activity for them that resembles what you are doing.
They can’t exactly help you pay the bills or do other paperwork. But you can certainly take the opportunity to get out the arts and crafts and gather around the kitchen table together!
When you’re done, take a walk to the mailbox together to send them off!
To Recap:
- Anything can be a game! Your kids don’t know housekeeping is work if you create an inviting environment for them to learn, play, and explore!
- Lower your standards and enjoy your kids being part of your everyday housekeeping.
- Keep special activities (like cleaning) out of sight until you are ready to use them together so the novelty doesn’t wear off!
- Try to get your child involved in what you are doing OR create a special activity for them that closely resembles what you are doing.
I hope this brief list of ideas gets you inspired! Housekeeping doesn’t have to be the stressful elephant in the room. Have fun doing chores together with your kids! Just remember: anything can be a game. It’s all about being intentional.
Have you figured out other ways to get your kids involved in your housekeeping? Do share!
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