As we all continue to spend more time at home, finding activities to keep the little ones entertained is becoming more challenging. We also know that it was hard enough to keep on top of the cleaning pre-lockdown, let alone now when children are confined to the home for the majority of the day, every day. 

One way that you can perhaps try to remedy both problems is to involve children in the cleaning. Obviously, this will vary depending on the age of your children but here are some suggestions that might help  

  1. Start ‘em young – incorporating cleaning and tidying into daily life from a young age can be a good way to establish expectations. Simplicity is key here, so for a two or three-year-old that’s likely to be putting toys away or putting place mats back after eating. 
  2. Smaller tasks – for older children, saying ‘clean your room’ is usually something that’s met with a less than enthusiastic response. Breaking things down into smaller, more specific tasks like ‘put those cars back in their box’ could help things seem less overwhelming. 
  3. Get creative – children respond well to games and role play so you could think about adding an element of make believe. Creating their own cleaning company is something that could add some fun for a five or six-year-old. 
  4. Make it fun – in the same vein, making tasks fun might sound obvious but it’s a great way to get kids involved. Music is a good way to do this, so simply dancing as you clean or challenging your little ones to complete a job before a song finishes could encourage them to get involved. If you’re on the hunt for some great tunes, make sure to check out our latest playlist on Spotify, May Magic. 
  5. Incentivise – who are we kidding, this is something we use as adults too! Whether it’s a sticker chart that leads to a treat once a certain number of jobs are completed or letting them have some extra screen time if they complete a task. Making sure your praise and encourage as you go is also an important motivator for little ones.   

We’d love to hear your tips and tricks for how you get your children to help with some of the cleaning. Head over to our social channels to share your ideas! 

On the flip side though, if this all feels a bit too much, particularly at the moment, then that’s fine too. After all, it’s not like you’re going to be having guests round so if the washing up takes a while longer to get done (even with Derek to help you!) and there are toys permanently all over the floor, no one needs to know.