Keep Children Entertained While Cleaning

While you are cleaning, are your little ones underfoot and making more messes that you must clean up? Have you ever thought that they might just want to do what you are doing? Small children learn best when doing things along with the one caring for them. You can entertain and teach a small child how to clean by making a game out of it!

Steps

 * 1) A good cleaning game for a small child is chasing dust bunnies. These are the little dust animals that are hiding in the oddest places. As you are cleaning up, entertain a child with a washrag that is only theirs, making a big deal out if it being theirs. If a child has something that no one else has, that's a big deal to them. If need be, write their names on it.
 * 2) Now it's time to chase dust bunnies. Tell a story as your child is dusting along with you. Explain why dust bunnies are hiding under the couch, under the kitchen table, and occupying all these little places that a 2-3 year old child can get to. Also,
 * 3) Have a cleaning race. Pick a room for yourself to clean, and a small area, cupboard, closet, etc., for your child to clean. Explain exactly what needs to be cleaned, so they know what needs to be done in order to win. Get in your 'cleaning areas.' Shout "Ready? Set? Go!" The little one will start cleaning as fast as they can. This will make the chores go by faster for your child and for you.
 * 4) Don't forget to make a big deal out of their help. Little ones are the most helpful when they know they are helping.

Tips

 * If you are cleaning the kitchen, find places for a child to clean along with you. Talk about how clean everything is going to look with their help. By the time they are older and cleaning for real, you have made good memories with them. Chores can be the biggest entertainment (when they don't look like chores), and you can play the cleaning game for years. Dust bunnies beware!
 * If babies are involved, consider investing in a baby carrier, and sort of backpack you can strap on to you and hold the baby inside.
 * Also add some music too. It will make them enjoy the work more.

Warnings

 * A small child can tire out easily, so don't push them to help more than they are willing to. Do not get upset with them if they end up making a bigger mess instead of actually cleaning up. The whole idea is to entertain them while also getting some housework done. Children who start early as "Mommy or Daddy's Big Helper" learn teamwork and pride in a job well done. Praise from a parent means more to a child than we will ever know! When everything is done, don't forget to give the young ones a treat. Older helpers get lots of praise and maybe a small treat.
 * One thing you must not do is pay them for their help. If you pay children for doing chores, it will become a habit, and when they are older, they will only do chores if they feel they are being "hired".
 * If small children are around, do not have them help while doing certain chores, like cleaning the bathroom, scrubbing the kitchen floor, etc, as those cleaning products may involve chemicals that can be harmful.

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