7 Ways to Keep Your House Clean with Kids Home All the Time

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All moms have heard the saying, “Cleaning with kids in the house is like brushing your teeth while eating Oreos.” But what are we supposed to do in 2020 when the kids are in the house all. the. time?

Within the first few weeks of the pandemic, our clean house was starting to show signs that it was lived in. In other words, it was messy.  Between virtual schooling, working at home, and the kids having nowhere to go and nothing to do except make a mess, things started to pile up. But the usual chore charts weren’t working.

Here are some of the things I am doing instead to keep the house clean with kids home all day every day.

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1. Let Them See You Clean

I remember being told by a wiser, more experienced mom the importance of cleaning while the kids were awake. There are so many moms who do chores during their kids’ naptimes or after bedtime. All this does is put all the housework on you, and it keeps kids from learning how to clean a house. Instead, vacuum right under their feet, load the dishwasher while they are at the counter, and fold the laundry in front of them. Children learn by watching you.

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2. Give Them Age Appropriate Chores

But don’t stop at just letting your kids see you clean – they need to clean, too! It is important to give your kid’s age-appropriate chores. And, the sooner, the better! Even toddlers can help out around the house. WebMD has a great list of age-appropriate chores for kids starting at age 2.

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3. Reward Their Hard Work

And when the kids do their chores the right way, make sure you reward their hard work! This can vary from giving them praise and compliments to giving them an allowance. Consider your kid’s love language to know type of reward that will work best.

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4. Offer Choices

We like having a choice, and so do our kids. Try giving them choices when it comes to chores, such as, “Will you clean the dishes or dust the living room today?” You are giving them a choice between two different chores – not giving them a choice between doing chores or doing nothing.

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5. Create a Cleaning Playlist

We call cleaning a chore for a reason. It’s not exactly fun. But there are ways to make cleaning a little more enjoyable, such as creating a cleaning playlist of all the songs your kids love. Plus, you can use your cleaning playlist as a timer to get chores done. For example, tell your kids they have until the end of the playlist or a certain number of songs to get their chores done.

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6. Make Them Work for What They Want

Many moms have found success by making kids work for what they want. In this scenario, you don’t let your kids do what they want until they do what you ask. For example, you withhold the Wi-Fi password or TV privileges until their chores are done.

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7. Get the Whole Family in on the Cleaning Action

During the quarantine, I’ve had cleaning success by making cleaning a family affair. Every Saturday, we work together as a family to do some deep cleaning before we start to enjoy the weekend. Working together helps it get done faster. And, we are teaching our daughters that they can contribute to the family unit and help the household.

What tips do you have for keeping a house clean with kids home? Share in the comments!