This post was sponsored by P&G as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. I received complimentary products to facilitate my review.
I’m sure I’m probably late to the game, but lately I’ve been getting Sawyer and Rhett more involved in doing chores. We’ve always had them help with cleaning up toys and cleaning up after themselves, but we’ve been trying to teach them that if we are working on something, they should be right there along with us helping. We don’t want them just to play or watch while others get everything done, plus having kids help out around the house gives them a really good sense of responsibility and it gets them excited about it while they are still young and impressionable haha
Sometimes it’s definitely easier and faster to do things myself, but it really is worth it to have them help out. I know someday I’ll have three little boys who can do all the cleaning while I sit back and do a crossword 😉 Here are some of the chores that they help with regularly:
Dishes- Their favorite chore is probably helping load the dishwasher. I haven’t gone far enough to letting them load the actual dishes, but I do let them put in cups and plastic plates. We use Cascade Complete Action Pacs so I don’t have to have them pre-rinse them. Once the dishwasher is full, I let whoever helped me put in the Cascade tab and press the button to start the dishwasher. (Note- I always keep these on a high shelf though; they look like candy so are dangerous for leaving out where children can get them).
Laundry- I let the boys get all the clothes out of the dryer and put them in a hamper and once they are folded, Sawyer takes each pile that goes in his dresser to the right drawer and then we hang up his clothes together. If there are dirty clothes are the floor in his room, he has to help tidy up by putting them in his hamper. When I was a kid, we had really small laundry hampers so we could carry them down the stairs by ourself and bring the clean laundry back up, but Sawyer’s hamper is a little big so we haven’t started that yet.
Windows- My favorite chore as a kid was doing the windows. My Mom always made a list of all the chores that had to be done, and we each took turns picking one and then went around again until the list was all taken. I always went for the windows on the first round. Now, my boys will follow me through the house, I spray the window cleaner and then they clean the windows with paper towels. Sometimes they aren’t the best about using one or two, so I buy Bounty Advanced in bulk at Costco so we don’t run out. Bounty Advanced is strong and durable so it holds up to anything my boys can put it up against.
P.S.- I got this vintage paper towel holder at a yard sale right after we got married, I love it!
Sweeping- Last year I bought Sawyer a little kid-size hand broom set and he loves going through the kitchen and dining room sweeping. I’m not sure if he is actually sweeping or just moving around dirt, but it keeps him busy for awhile and he’ll get it someday.
Cleaning Scuffs- A new thing I’ve been letting them do is clean the walls with Magic Erasers. It’s a great chore they can do without needing any real supervision. I just get it a little wet and tell them to go around the house on a hunt for scuffs or dirt on the walls and door trim. They are safe on most surfaces and the boys love running around the house “hunting” for them. Sawyer thinks it’s fun and Rhett does anything Sawyer does, so it’s perfect! I know scuffs are one of those not-so-important chores, but it’s the details that matter! The boxes of Magic Erasers that they sell at Costco have both the wall kind and the tub/tile kind so they can even help out in the bathroom and the size is perfect for their little hands.
Wiping down the wood surfaces- When I need something just to keep them busy, I’ll give each boy a wet sponge and ask them to go wipe down the kitchen table, chairs, and stools. If they get bored, I give them a bowl of soapy water to redip their sponge in and it keeps them busy for quite awhile, and gets the table clean! I have noticed though that unless I’m also cleaning something, they will stop working. My cross-word plan isn’t quite complete yet!
I’m sure I’m probably forgetting some, and maybe I’ll make a list of the outdoor little jobs they help with too, but those are the chores that they regularly help with, and I love having them follow behind me helping. You can get all of the products I mentioned at Costco, and in bulk sizes so you never run out!
Oh and while you’re there, don’t forget to grab the Charmin, for cleaning up after you know what! It’s got the widest paper so you don’t need to use a ton!
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