Make Spring Cleaning a Family Activity

This is part 3 in our spring cleaning series. If you miss any of them, no worries, click here to see all of our spring cleaning articles.

Spring cleaning is a big job. While it’s certainly something you can do on your own, you don’t have to. In fact, there is benefit to having your family help with the job. It alleviates some of the work you have to do. Children can learn the value of hard work. Plus, it is a great opportunity to teach your girls how to manage a home and your boys to be good husbands! They can learn responsibility and contribute to the care and keeping of your home.

Tips and ideas to help you get the family helping Spring Clean

1. Reward them. Depending on your child(ren) age(s), reward them accordingly. Here are some ideas; stickers, treats, movies, money, day of fun, cd’s, etc. Whatever you can think of that will motivate them. Come up with a reward before you approach them with their jobs. As far as Hubbie, well, I am certain you can convince him if you are creative enough! LOL!

2. Make it fun with music. Music makes any job easier. Throw on some upbeat music that brings glory to God and you will not only get the house clean and have fun, you will also get your praise on!

3. Make it a game. Consider making the spring cleaning task a game. Everyone likes games, right? Consider timing each person. The person that gets their job done the fastest wins. Or the person that gets their job done the best wins. You might also make it a game of speed and skill. For example, finish a task and then run to a designated place in the room and take a token. The person who collects the most tokens wins. Of course their work needs to be checked. If they didn’t do a good job then they lose tokens.

4. Celebrate after. Have a post spring cleaning party. Order pizza take out and watch a movie together. Have a family game night. Go out to your favorite family restaurant. Or do something fun like go bowling, skating or to your local indoor amusement park. Be creative and stay within YOUR family’s budget!

5. Give them choices. Consider making a list of all of the jobs that need to be accomplished. Then ask your children or family members to each choose three tasks. This way they have some control over the process. And they have chosen tasks that best suit their preferences.

6. Provide guidance. Create a step by step procedure of how you want the task to be completed. For example, if one child is cleaning out a closet list everything that goes into the job. Consider creating a checklist for them. They can easily follow the list and you know everything will get done.

7. Make it age/skill appropriate. Make sure each family member has age appropriate tasks. You wouldn’t want to ask a five year old to clean out the refrigerator. You might find that they throw everything away! If you’re letting your children choose which cleaning jobs the take on, consider grouping them by age. That way your child can choose from a list of jobs you know they can complete.

When you enlist the help of your entire family, spring cleaning can be completed in no time. You’ll feel as if you’ve all accomplished something together, and the best part is that you can celebrate your success as a family when you’re done.

In all labor there is profit, But idle chatter leads only to poverty. – Proverbs 14:23 (NKJV)