Twice The Effort, Twice The Reward?
Having the kids clean their room takes about twice as long than if I just kick them out and clean their room. But I’d rather not be the one cleaning their room the rest of the time they live with me.
It is really hard for a three and five year old to just be shut in their room and told to clean it. There really isn’t any direction in that, and kids that age hardly have that sort of direction themselves*. So for cleaning their room, I stay in their with them and help. I do some cleaning, but I also direct them. I have them pick everything off the floor and put it on their beds. Then we pick through that, one item at a time, and I ask them if they want to keep it or toss it. If they choose keep it, which is most of their stuff since it isn’t all trash on the floor, then I have them find a place to put it that isn’t on the floor or the top of the dresser. We did that today to not just the floor, but the top of the dresser and inside the closet. Now I am dumping out their dresser drawers and refolding. This is something that Ada does help do, which is why I have to redo it because her folding abilities are still sloppy. That’s fine. As long as she puts things away. It just takes a lot of effort at keeping them on track and getting it done.
We are having dinner out to celebrate all our hard work today. And because I cleaned my kitchen and I don’t want anybody to mess it up, at least of a day.
*Although, Ada has been able to go down into the play room and clean it up herself. She doesn’t do a bad job. Everything is off the ground and put into the plastic storage system. However, it isn’t very neatly put into the plastic storage system. Whatever. One step at a time.
