2190: How to Get Kids to Clean Up Without a Fight by Jen of This Time of Mine on Parenting Tips

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[00:00:29] This is Optimal Relationships Daily, episode 2190,

[00:00:34] How to Get Kids to Clean Up Without a Fight, by Jen of thistimeofmine.com.

[00:00:40] Hello everybody and welcome back. I'm your host and narrator Greg Audino, and this is ORD,

[00:00:46] where I bring you some of the best blogs about how to improve the relationships in your life.

[00:00:50] I read from articles written specifically for parents on Thursdays and Fridays,

[00:00:54] but today's post, like many, truly has something for everyone. So I'll explain more about that

[00:00:59] after the reading when I offer my comments, but first let's check this post out as we optimize

[00:01:04] your life. How to Get Kids to Clean Up Without a Fight, by Jen of thistimeofmine.com.

[00:01:16] Kids and messes go together like peanut butter and jelly, but that doesn't mean they can't learn

[00:01:22] to clean up after themselves. Keeping the house put together is a big job, and we shouldn't have

[00:01:27] to do it alone. So bring in the reinforcements. Of course we all want our kids to help out,

[00:01:33] but if you're constantly fighting with your kids about cleaning up, you're in the right place.

[00:01:38] Listen on for 10 tips that will get your kids to clean up better, faster, and without a fight.

[00:01:44] First things first. One of the best ways to help our kids clean up, especially without a fight,

[00:01:50] is to make it easy for them to do so. Declutter whenever possible. Donate unused toys and

[00:01:57] throw out ones that are broken or missing pieces. Create a home for everything. Make sure everything

[00:02:02] has a box, a bin, or a shelf to be put in. As a bonus, add labels. Make everything easy to reach.

[00:02:09] Cleanup will go much smoother and happen more often if they can do everything themselves.

[00:02:14] These three tips will set the stage for your kids to get better at cleaning up after themselves.

[00:02:19] Now here are 10 tips to help make it less of a battle for everyone.

[00:02:24] How to get the kids to clean up without a fight.

[00:02:27] To help your kids get better at cleaning up after themselves, try these tips.

[00:02:32] 1. Give warning. If there's one thing I know about kids, it's that they don't like an abrupt

[00:02:39] end to playtime. Before telling the kids it's time to clean up, give them a warning. Something

[00:02:45] simple like five minutes until it's time to clean up will make the transition much easier for everyone.

[00:02:51] 2. Clean up more than once per day. Small messes are always easier to clean than big messes.

[00:02:59] Of course, we always want our kids to put one thing away before getting out another,

[00:03:03] but in real life, it doesn't always work. So, to prevent messes from building up, have cleanup

[00:03:09] time more than once. Once before lunch and once before bed might be all they need to keep it

[00:03:14] manageable. 3. Set a timer.

[00:03:19] Help create a sense of urgency by setting a timer, but keep it fun. Kids love racing to beat a timer,

[00:03:25] so make it a race rather than a countdown to a punishment. Add extra incentive by having them

[00:03:30] trying to beat you or offering something fun for them to do if they beat the timer.

[00:03:35] 4. Turn on music. Chores seem to go by faster with good music, don't they? Keep things fun and

[00:03:43] upbeat by turning on something the kids love. They can then focus more on their favorite songs

[00:03:48] and less on the fact that they're doing a chore. 5. Make cleaning up a regular part of the daily

[00:03:54] routine. Kids will be less likely to put up a fight if cleaning is just a regular part of life.

[00:04:00] Of course, you might still get the occasional eye roll or two, but help them understand that being

[00:04:05] in a family means that everyone contributes. It's not a punishment, it's just how it is.

[00:04:10] 6. Stay consistent. Along those same lines, be as consistent as you can by making cleaning up

[00:04:18] a daily habit. Of course, we all have crazy days where no cleaning happens, but if cleaning up

[00:04:24] happens more often than not, it'll be easier to make it a habit. 7. Provide other opportunities

[00:04:31] to clean. Help reinforce cleaning skills by giving your kids other opportunities to contribute.

[00:04:37] Toys aren't the only things they can clean up. Find a simple chore system and work it into

[00:04:42] your family's schedule. 8. Make your expectations known.

[00:04:48] Kids always do better when they know exactly what's expected of them. When it comes to cleaning

[00:04:53] up toys and other playthings, make sure they know exactly where everything goes. Help them

[00:04:59] understand what the area looks like when it's cleaned according to your standards.

[00:05:03] 9. Lead by example. Let your kids see you clean. Sometimes we do all of our cleaning when the

[00:05:10] kids are otherwise occupied. They often don't realize how much work goes into keeping the

[00:05:15] house clean, so let them see that you clean too. 10. Give grace.

[00:05:22] When it comes to getting kids to clean up, it's important to set our expectations high,

[00:05:27] but it's even more important to support them in their growth. Help them understand that all

[00:05:31] you expect is their best effort, however that may look. As they grow, their skills will improve,

[00:05:37] as will their endurance. So give them grace as they learn, especially on days when they're

[00:05:42] feeling overwhelmed with the task. So to recap, here's how to get kids to clean up.

[00:05:48] Give warning. Clean more than once per day. Set a timer. Turn on music. Make cleaning up a regular

[00:05:56] part of the daily routine. Stay consistent. Provide other opportunities to clean. Make your

[00:06:02] expectations known. Lead by example. And give grace. You just listened to the post titled,

[00:06:13] How to get kids to clean up without a fight, by Jen of thistimeofmine.com

[00:06:32] 10. And an absolutely perfect list from Jen today. Great write up by her, which I really have

[00:06:54] nothing to add to. But all I will say is that a lot of the foundational parts of her advice today

[00:07:01] can and should be applied most everywhere. What might these be? Well, making things easy,

[00:07:07] like with the labels and having things easy to reach. Soft transitions, fun, consistency,

[00:07:14] thankfulness, leading by example, rewards, creating games. These are all wonderful tools

[00:07:21] to help ourselves and others achieve goals or stick to new routines with ease. So whether it's

[00:07:28] cleaning or something else, whether it's your kids, you or someone else, think about how ideas

[00:07:35] like these can be integrated into a situation you're involved in, in which you'd like to see

[00:07:39] progress made. And best of luck with that. It is time to wrap this one up, folks. So glad to have

[00:07:45] had you here with me today for this great read. And I do hope you'll come back tomorrow for

[00:07:49] another post, which you won't want to miss. So I'll see you there where your optimal life awaits.