NOT TOO YOUNG TO CLEAN

Last night my 9 year old son, Imbwana, came to me and said, "Mom, I've folded the clothes that were on your bed, arranged the books on the side table and spread Noni's bed." (Noni is his 2yo sister). I said, "Wow, that's really good, thank you!" and went about my work. Then he boldly added, "Will you pay me?" He wasn't paid.
So when should your little ones start doing cleaning chores? This not-so-little one performed this self-commissioned activity as "rendering a payable service".

Cleaning can be a rewarding activity. It should be taught to children as young as 2, as soon as they can understand words like dirty, clean, wipe, wash, etc. Let me begin by saying, it's wise to teach your child how to properly wash his or her hands at an early age. 2 year-olds love playing with water, so how about having your little one help with washing fruits like plums, oranges, tangerines, grapes and veggies like carrots? The reward is in the eating of these fruits! Two year-olds can also learn to tidy up their toys or taking his or her soiled diapers to the bin. I reward my Noni with a "high five" if she agrees to do it (because sometimes she'll refuse).

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Older children between 5 and 8, can learn to spread their bed, as well as washing their under
garments. Why not? This is also when they learn to give themselves a bath or shower. Dusting is an easy chore. By wearing the 'lonely' sock in one hand, your child can dust windowsills and countertops. At 8, they may start learning how to fold t-shirts and tidying up their entire bedroom. They would also enjoy putting away their own plate after a meal.

Simple vacuuming tasks, mopping floors and doing the dishes is perfect for 9 to 12 year olds. These chores involve planning, focus and endurance. The child starts to take a bigger role in keeping the home clean. They could also help with machine and hand washed laundry, which includes hanging clothes out to dry. After 12, your child should be able to handle pretty much any household cleaning task.

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So how do you actually get him or her to clean? Just like in school, a simple reward system should motivate your child to do a little cleaning everyday. I used a star chart for a while, and it worked extremely well...that is, until my daughter grew older and wiser. Just don't use cleaning as a punishment or threat (see my old post), as it builds resentment towards the activity and will require quite the effort just to turn things around.

So back to my son, I told him if he wanted to get paid to clean something, he could find out if our next door neighbour needed his car washed. THAT's a payable service. The neighbour (his uncle) is yet to be asked.

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