Friday, July 27, 2012

Post-Dinner & Opera-Style Clean-Up

If you're like me, you're always up for a new tip on how to get the kids to help with housework.  Well, here's our latest if you need yet another idea.

Usually we eat dinner then are off to do something, and we fail to do the dishes or straighten up the house.   Then, my husband and I end up doing housework after the kids go to bed.  I was getting pretty sick of it, and finally said to my husband that the kids should just have to wait for us to get the dishes done right after dinner, and they should help clean up the messes they made.  

So, we tried it.  After dinner, we worked on dishes while the kids de-cluttered.  It was amazing.  I felt so liberated not having to clean up after everyone else.  It also gives me time to exercise after the kids go to bed!

Also, we have one particularly messy, unmotivated daughter (especially when it comes to things she doesn't want to do).  For some reason, though, she thought it was so fun to clean if we gave her the instructions opera style.  She was sad when the whole house was straightened because she wanted to do more (I guess we could have done the basement...).