Smarter Spring Cleaning Strategies

I know its hard to get Broxton to clean up these days. When he does, his definition of "clean" versus mine is a bit off, so I was looking for fun ways for us to work together and get into "SPRING CLEANING."  I was happy to have a guest post  to share with you a few ideas!

Smarter Spring Cleaning Strategies Start with Having the Kids Help

By: BusyKid CEO Gregg Murset

Spring is just around the corner, which means it’s time to clean. From organizing closets to washing windows, dusting baseboards, cleaning inside, behind and under appliances, vacuuming air vents, and freshening up the yard, the list of chores that need to be done around the house is exhausting and endless. According to the Center For Parenting Education, children who regularly do chores are better able to deal with frustration; delay gratification; have higher self-esteem and are more responsible compared to children who don't help out with chores. Instead of parents trying to tackle all of the Spring Cleaning tasks themselves, or hiring an expensive service for help, getting the kids involved with age-appropriate tasks might be the best idea. 

Here is a how-to guide on tackling your Spring Cleaning tasks getting the kids motivated to lend a hand:

• Plan It Out - Sit down as a family and discuss the projects, the deadlines and who is tackling what.

• Team Up - Instead of having each person take on individual projects, team up to make the jobs go faster. Put on matching colored outfits and race to see who can finish their cleaning project the fastest, while delivering the best results.

• Make It Fun - No one said chores had to be boring, make a game and trigger the competitive side of your kids. Since younger children cannot help as much with cleaning, put them in charge of quality control with a pair of white gloves and a magnifying glass!

• Call in the Reserves – Ask friends from your neighborhood to do a cleaning swap. Take turns doing jobs at each other’s homes with your kids and set up an assembly line process. For example, if you are washing outside windows one person can scrub while another follows and rinses. Then go to the neighbor’s house and do the same. You’ll cut your job time half if not more!

• Put Value On It - This is a great time to begin teaching your kids some valuable life lessons, including work ethic, responsibility, time management, and earning an allowance. If two kids want the same job, have them write down bids on scraps of paper and turn them in to you. The lowest bidder wins the job and the reward!

• Share Your Time & Talents - Make sure to carve out a few hours to take on a community project as a family - clean your park, paint a neighbors fence, etc.  

• Throw a Party at the End – Thank everyone for their hard work, and get yourself out of having to make dinner, by ordering take-out. Then pick up some ice cream for dessert and recyclable paper dishes and silverware so you don’t have to wash one more thing.

About BusyKid

BusyKid is the first online chore chart where children can earn, save, share, spend and invest real money wisely. Formerly known as My Job Chart, BusyKid is easy to use, revolutionary and allows kids to receive a real allowance from their parents each Friday. No more points or trying to convert imaginary money.

BusyKid is committed to helping children learn the important basic financial principles they don’t get anywhere else. Designed as a platform that is easy for parents to implement, BusyKid features pre-loaded chores based on children’s ages and making chore payment approvals is as simple as answering a text message. BusyKid is the only online chore/allowance platform that allows children to earn real allowance and use it immediately to buy gift cards, make a donation or invest in real stock. For more information, go to www.busykid.com.