Keeping a healthy home is no simple task. No matter how big or small your family is, you’re not immune to a messy house and how overwhelming it can be. You’ll need help, so dividing cleaning among family members can lower your stress and let you focus on other important tasks.
But how do you make everyone join? Read more to find out how to assign chores to your family and form a strong cleaning team.
Step #1: Approach your family in a friendly way
When you call for a family meeting, remember to approach them in a friendly manner instead of demanding their involvement in cleaning chores.
You can tell your family about how you feel when the house is messy and, if you have them help, everyone will create a better environment.
Also, don’t forget to set realistic expectations about what your family can do for you, especially for the kids, since not everyone will be an expert at first. Once you reach an understanding, it’s time to set the terms.
Step #2 Set rewards for completed chores
To ensure your family’s motivation, it’s best to allow them screen time and other non-productive activities until the chores are done.
Don’t say it’s a consequence for not doing the tasks, but as a reward for completing them. By doing so, your children will learn how good it is to earn a prize and how more enjoyable it is to have free time.
Sidenote: On the subject of allowance for chores
There’s a debate on whether you should give money as an incentive for doing chores. In many cases, this could complicate things, and you might fail to create a sense of responsibility.
So, it’s best to avoid involving money, but if you’re giving an allowance, consider other factors and don’t tie payment to activities your family has to do anyway.
Step #3: Keep track with a chore chart
After the agreement, you need a plan and a tool to keep track of everyone’s progress. Time to make a chore chart! Here are some tips on making it simple but effective:
Tip #1: Choose tasks based on age and skills
It’s best to assign age-appropriate chores. Smaller kids can put their toys away or fill up the cat or dog’s food bowl. Bigger kids can sweep, rake or vacuum, while the older ones can walk pets or take on bigger tasks such as bathroom cleaning or lawn mowing.
You can check more chores for your children here!
Tip #2: Simple is better
Once you’ve planned daily, weekly and monthly tasks, don’t overwhelm everyone with a massive document. When designing the chore chart, display two or three columns with a clear deadline.
You can print one chart for each or leave it on a board for everyone to see!
Step #4: Rotate chores to keep the flow
When you don’t add variety, you always risk boring your children. An easy way to keep chores from becoming dull is to rotate activities! This way, everyone gets to do the same task at some point, and it’s a great idea if two or more siblings are equally skilled.
Step #5: Grant your team some time off
After all that hard work, you should let your team rest and enjoy time together that doesn’t involve cleaning. It’s ok to ask for help and you can count on professionals like Memorable Maids to take over cleaning, serving in the Vancouver area.
Request a quote and get in touch with our cleaning staff!