Tidy Up Time Tips
Below are a few ideas to make tidy up time more fun and therefore more productive.
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Tidy up time has the potential to take your family giant steps forward. Not only will you all enjoy the immense rewards of a clean and tidy house, you will be teaching your children valuable life skills and personal standards that will serve them through out their lifetime.
Young Kids - Have fun while they are still easily amused.
Daily Theme – Have a few dress up articles of clothing – a hat, a jacket, special shoes. Keep it easy so that they can simply step into their “phone booth” and make the change.
Dress up and pretend. Let them create their own character. Assign one for each day of the week. This will keep it simple and predictable.
The kids will probably choose a favourite day and look forward to it. If they would like to make that their “tidy up time” persona, let them. I’m sure Spiderman would make a super house keeper! (my son was a Darkwing Duck fan, I should have cashed in on that during tidy up time. He had a straw hat and a towel for a cape. Simple as that. And his Darkwing duck action figure that still sits on my office shelf.)
Treat – don’t use candy but show a little (or a lot) of love with something they like. Look for quick and nutritious fun snacks to use for a tidy up time treat and don’t forget the kissy :0)
If all of this seems like a lot of trouble, take it from the voice of experience, it’s a lot less trouble to encourage and get them in the routine now, than it is to clean up after and hound them when they are older, and are living the good life that they have become accustomed to.
Middle Children
Charts with larger rewards and privileges can work here. The sticker system is always fun for kids. After getting the required stickers, you may want to give them an allowance. You may be tempted to cut straight to the allowance, but progress charts and stickers are always more fun, they allow the children to chart and display their accomplishments. This gives them a sense of pride that will follow them through out their lifetime.
The allowance will help them to learn to manage their dollars, making their first mistakes with quarters for candy or a small toy instead of rent money. And it gives them some freedom and spending money so you don’t always have to pay or say no. And it teaches them that consistency and responsibility can pay off when they watch their savings grow (open them a savings account to give them the opportunity to learn how to save).
You can even offer a bonus system for extra jobs they take the initiative on. This will teach them that going the extra mile and being proactive has its rewards in life, and you never know, they might just get in the habit!
What ever the reward, which works much better than a negative consequence – always go for the possible – be sure that you are firm. No chores – no reward.
Teens
By the time you are dealing with teenagers, hopefully they will be at the point that they realize that to keep a presentable house to have their friends over, they need to pick up after themselves and participate in the general upkeep.
Privileges like using the car, going out and borrowing money for recreation comes much easier from you to them if they pull their weight and help out. It doesn’t take long for them to figure that out. My son has just reached that age now – he has his license, a job and lots of friends to go out with – he no longer complains about cutting the grass (he says it’s hard, we have a large yard and a push mower, but he never says he won’t do it) because he knows he’s having too much fun driving our van and that it’s reasonable. If anything, he’s quite willing to run errands etc as well. It’s been quite nice. So it’s worked well for me.
You won’t be having tidy up times when they are at this age but the idea and basic premise will still be just as important. A nightly “clean sweep” is still in order, as well as a house rule that they pick up after themselves and do their own laundry.
Tidy up time may sound juvenile, but it is one of the most important habits and concepts that you can put into action in your home. Even a few minutes a day will make it better than it was. And that’s always a step ahead and a good place to start.
Recommended
Young Kids - Have fun while they are still easily amused.
Daily Theme – Have a few dress up articles of clothing – a hat, a jacket, special shoes. Keep it easy so that they can simply step into their “phone booth” and make the change.
Dress up and pretend. Let them create their own character. Assign one for each day of the week. This will keep it simple and predictable.
The kids will probably choose a favourite day and look forward to it. If they would like to make that their “tidy up time” persona, let them. I’m sure Spiderman would make a super house keeper! (my son was a Darkwing Duck fan, I should have cashed in on that during tidy up time. He had a straw hat and a towel for a cape. Simple as that. And his Darkwing duck action figure that still sits on my office shelf.)
Treat – don’t use candy but show a little (or a lot) of love with something they like. Look for quick and nutritious fun snacks to use for a tidy up time treat and don’t forget the kissy :0)
If all of this seems like a lot of trouble, take it from the voice of experience, it’s a lot less trouble to encourage and get them in the routine now, than it is to clean up after and hound them when they are older, and are living the good life that they have become accustomed to.
Middle Children
Charts with larger rewards and privileges can work here. The sticker system is always fun for kids. After getting the required stickers, you may want to give them an allowance. You may be tempted to cut straight to the allowance, but progress charts and stickers are always more fun, they allow the children to chart and display their accomplishments. This gives them a sense of pride that will follow them through out their lifetime.
The allowance will help them to learn to manage their dollars, making their first mistakes with quarters for candy or a small toy instead of rent money. And it gives them some freedom and spending money so you don’t always have to pay or say no. And it teaches them that consistency and responsibility can pay off when they watch their savings grow (open them a savings account to give them the opportunity to learn how to save).
You can even offer a bonus system for extra jobs they take the initiative on. This will teach them that going the extra mile and being proactive has its rewards in life, and you never know, they might just get in the habit!
What ever the reward, which works much better than a negative consequence – always go for the possible – be sure that you are firm. No chores – no reward.
Teens
By the time you are dealing with teenagers, hopefully they will be at the point that they realize that to keep a presentable house to have their friends over, they need to pick up after themselves and participate in the general upkeep.
Privileges like using the car, going out and borrowing money for recreation comes much easier from you to them if they pull their weight and help out. It doesn’t take long for them to figure that out. My son has just reached that age now – he has his license, a job and lots of friends to go out with – he no longer complains about cutting the grass (he says it’s hard, we have a large yard and a push mower, but he never says he won’t do it) because he knows he’s having too much fun driving our van and that it’s reasonable. If anything, he’s quite willing to run errands etc as well. It’s been quite nice. So it’s worked well for me.
You won’t be having tidy up times when they are at this age but the idea and basic premise will still be just as important. A nightly “clean sweep” is still in order, as well as a house rule that they pick up after themselves and do their own laundry.
Tidy up time may sound juvenile, but it is one of the most important habits and concepts that you can put into action in your home. Even a few minutes a day will make it better than it was. And that’s always a step ahead and a good place to start.
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