expectations

I expect the kids to really chip in and help out around here.  I have a pretty high standard of cleanliness, and if the kids don't help out, I would be cleaning all. day. long.  And into the night.

I know that these little bodies are capable of being great helps, with some direction and high expectations. I hold cleaning "schools".  I began these schools when Kami and Caden were 5 and 4 respectively. We began with "bathroom cleaning school."  I brought them into their bathroom with me, and had them watch me clean the bathroom while we talked about each step and how to do it. I wrote out each step for them (they were very early readers, which came in handy!) and hung it on the inside of the cabinet door.  The next time, I watched them clean it while we talked about each step and how to do it.  As time went on, if I inspected their job and noticed that a mirror was very smeared, or things weren't quite neat enough, I would call them back to re-do, because I knew that they knew, and the job needed to be done right. They became great little bathroom cleaners, and cleaners in general, as they attended this "school" in every room of the house.

Fast forward about eleven years.  Kami and Caden are still great cleaners; but I have noticed lately that the younger kids were doing less-than-ideal work on jobs.  I have the house divided up into "zones", and the kids usually rotate through them each week. Recently they decided that they would rather do it this way:

They are also expected to do their bedrooms each day, and a more thorough cleaning of their "zone" on Saturdays.

 As I was saying, I realized that some of these younger kids really didn't know my expectations for each room.

Recently I made my expectations for these jobs more clear, and made doing the jobs more appealing.  How? Well, the kids around here can't get enough of dry-erase markers, so I bought a pack of them, covered their job descriptions with contact paper, and they mark off each job as they go. Strangely enough, that, and the idea that there is fun to come after the work, is all that it takes to get my variety of kids up and moving with minimal complaint.

Once again, it turns out that kids just need some direction and understood expectations.  As they work away, I do a few jobs in each of the rooms, as well: clean all the toilets, keep laundry going, vacuum, mop (but not all of these every single day!!) etc.  AND THEN in a matter of a couple of hours we take off and have a great day of fun!

The house looks amazing!!!!...for a few hours.  And that few hours happens only when we have gone to do something fun OUTSIDE of the house:) Does it still get cluttery during the day?  You bet it does!! But I figure that a once-per-day cleaning is plenty!