Children can be good helpers in keeping the house clean and tidy. How much they can do is a different story.
So much depends on the age of your child and their particular personality. Cleaners can be dangerous, and should only be used by older children who have been sufficiently trained to know where and how to point a nozzle. (It doesn't hurt to have periodic reminders, as well). Electrical appliances, like the vacuum cleaner, need supervision until a certain age. Always remind your children what can and cannot be plugged in an electrical outlet. Even when they are too young to do this themselves, it never hurts to reinforce the fact that fingers, forks, and small toys should never touch an outlet.
- Over and Over - Teaching your child how to fold a shirt properly is not a one-time deal. Like anything, home skills must be taught over and over. It is difficult for children to remember how we Big People like things done around the house. And let's face it, their idea of clean is usually not the same as ours!
Staying patient is highly important. These are life-long skills we are imparting to our children. Just like reading and math, laundry and bathroom cleaning skills will last a life-time. When we teach our children these things, we help the whole family. We free ourselves from what can feel like overwhelming day-long servitude to the household. We give our children a sense of independence and ability. And an added bonus - the house is clean (or cleaner, anyway!).
Christine Alcott - Christine is an active homeschooling mother of 4 boys in Texas. She holds a BS in Mental Health and Human Services and a MTS in Theology ...
