Teaching Kids Responsibility with Chores

Giving Your Children Jobs Around The House

I strongly feel that kids need to take part in the family chores. I think our job as parents is to raise them to be independent adults. If they constantly have everything done for them, once they are on their own… they flounder around like fish out of water. They want someone else to do it for them. I’ve seen it time and time again.

A Few Points to Keep In Mind

1) Kids like routine
2) Kids need guidelines
3) Kids like to feel grown up
4) Kids like to help

Use these points in a positive Way
Routine and guidelines - Have a schedule for chores. Make a job board. This is one that I used to use for years. I have since revamped it, but this is a very simple one I like to show people.  It doesn’t have to be fancy.  The first name magnets I made, I let the kids color their own.  They loved that.  But you could also go the other route and make printables on your computer and make them look vintage or something that matches the kitchen or decor.

I started this when the triplets were three years old. They couldn’t read, so I drew the pictures.  Even though some of the chores like vacuuming might have been more than a three year old could accomplish the way I might want the job done… it gave them a sense of pride to help. Of course I helped, and now at ten years old they know how to do it properly.

For me… I go simple.

I use a magnetic dry erase board that I purchased at a discount store.

You can put the magnets directly on your refrigerator – maybe you don’t have the wall space to hang a chore board, or you don’t want one hanging, or you don’t want to purchase one – you don’t have to!

I put the children’s names across the top and the jobs they are assigned that week, underneath their names. Depending on age and ability will determine how many chores and of what level they are per child.  During the school year my children get two chores per week. (Keeping their rooms clean, beds made and laundry put away are routine chores. They are not on the chore board)  During the summer when they are all home, they have three per week.

Making The Chore Board

Purchased a box of these magnetized stickers for business cards at the office store. They are a little pricey, but I still have plenty left and they are the perfect size and the magnets on them are really strong.  The sheets of magnet stickers isn’t inexpensive either, and I have found that you have to cut it and the magnet isn’t’ as strong.

Either cut paper to size or the backs of old business cards.  I like to write the chore (and picture of the chore) on the card before I adhere it to the magnet. Then just peel off the backing of the sticker.

And place your paper onto the sticker.  There you have it.. Easy Peazy!

Cleaning Buckets – Feeling Grown Up and Making it Fun To Help

By giving them their own “cleaning bucket” it helps to make them feel more important. The younger ones can have something like this with just some cleaning wipes, a sponge and dust cloth.
If you color code your kids, then be sure to have their bucket in “their color” to keep them straight.

When they get to be a little older and can handle cleaning chemicals responsibility they can have something more like this.

Keep it fun and colorful!  The more positive we go into it, the more positive results you will get from the children.

It doesn’t have to be difficult or pulling teeth in order to have children learn responsibility.  But I think as adults we have the responsibility to teach our children how to live in the real world… and that starts at home.  Personally I think it needs to start early.  We aren’t helping our children by doing everything for them.  We help them by teaching them how to do things for themselves.

 

Spring Cleaning – Dust or Vacuum First?

Cleaning Debate Here We Come!

What do you do?  Do you Dust or Vacuum first when you are cleaning?

Hasn’t that been one of the long standing debates?  Kind of like the chicken or the egg.

When dust, the dust that doesn’t stick to the dust cloth falls down onto the floor.  (So then you can suck it up by the vacuum right?

But…. when you vacuum, it stirs up dust and makes things dustier.

So – Which do you do first?  If you dust first, the vacuum will pick up the dust that falls on the floor. But when you vacuum, it stirs up dust and then you need to dust?

Which do you think I do first? hmmmm…. you’ll have to read and see.

Dusting

Dust… ewww….   how can you watch one of those 60 Minute TV shows on dust mites and ever look at dust the same way again?  lol  It’s much easier not to think about that isn’t it?

I’m sure not all of your homes get this dusty, but I’m sure we’ve all been there at some point. I have two dogs, carpet and seven people in the house. All of those add up to dust. It doesn’t matter that the windows have not been open, and no one has been digging a foundation right near my house in dry weather stirring up all the dust. It’s just life.

When I dust, I prefer to use a spray cleaner.

I’m not endorsing Endust. I usually use it, but I’ll also use other products.  You pick what ever product you like to dust with, it makes no never-mind to me (that reminds me of my Grandmother talking… lol)

I prefer to spray the Endust directly onto the dust cloth, not the furniture. Why? Because that is how my Momma taught me.  Simple as that.

Dust away…..

Doesn’t it look great after you have dusted?  Are you a good duster?  Do you always dust the entire piece of furniture, down the legs, behind it… the sides?  Or are you a surface duster?  Me…. I tend to me a little in between.  I probably lean more on the side of surface dusting on most days. What about you?

Vacuuming

Dogs?  Sometimes I wonder why in the world I have them.  Their dog hair (Sadies’ fur) gets everywhere.  Their dander creates so much dust and dirt, there are those occasional accidents (Gizzy) and muddy paws.  But the love, licks, and smiles you get from them every time they see you is worth it (I think)

This shot is of a little end table that is right between the wall and the couch. The green basket is the dogs toy basket, you can see (not only one of their toys, but some ear phones) all the dog hair and dirt on the carpet and edging.

How about these stairs.

Look at that baseboard along the stairs. and all the dog hair stuck in the edges of the carpet.

Yes… Vacuuming is essential.

Here is another question for you.  Do you like the lines in your carpet after you have vacuumed?  I have a good friend who says she gets upset when her kids come in and ruin the lines in the carpet, from the vacuum cleaner.   Does the carpet feel cleaner when there are lines?  I think that is what the represent to me. “Freshly vacuumed carpet”

When you vacuum, do you go in the same pattern?  Do your lines have to be straight?  Aren’t these fun questions?

To answer my own question, I vacuum first and then dust.  Again, that is what my mom taught me to do.

I’d love to see your dusting/vacuuming or spring cleaning tip! Blog about them and then come back and

link it to my Organizing Mission Link party – Mission Spring Cleaning !!

I LOVE your comments!!

Spring Cleaning – Vents & Accessories

Vents

This is another thing we don’t think to clean! (At least me… isn’t this gross?) Check your furnace filter first. More than likely it needs to be changed.   Be sure to check your furnace filter. From what I have read the 1″ filters should be changed every month and 4″ ones are every 3 months. But there is much debate about that.

This doesn’t have to be hard to do. I again suggest making a sink full of hot soapy water. Arm yourself with a Phillips head screw driver and start going to the rooms that have the vents and take them off the wall.

Wash them and use a scrubby brush (but one that isn’t too course, you don’t want to scratch off any pain)

Make sure to dry it well.

Also get a rag and or your vacuum wand and clean inside the area of the vent.
Replace the vent and look how much nicer it looks!

There are so many things around our house that get dirty and dusty.  I have a glass candle tube on my mantel and it was filthy too!

Instead of just dusting it like I normally do… This got a good hot soapy water bath along with all of the rocks inside it .

Now look at the difference just a little soap and water can make!  You can also use a vinegar water mixture instead of soapy water if you’d prefer.

What can you find around your house that you don’t normally think of really cleaning well?

Get that soapy water going again and get a screw driver and tackle those vents.. and then let me know what other items you cleaned for spring!
Then come back and link it to my Organizing Mission Link party – Mission Spring Cleaning !! (You can link any of your organizing or cleaning posts.. they don’t have to be your lamps)

 

What Would Sandy Suggest – Week 5

I’m in an Office Mood I think

When I think about what I would suggest when I walk into a room…. I have to stop…. and think.

You first off have to find out what the client wants out of the room.
1) What do they want to use this space for?
2) What is their vision for this room?
3) What storage is available?

You can’t fit 20 gallons of gas into a 10 gallon tank right? So if you have too much “stuff” and not enough space to store it… then something needs to go.

Organizers aren’t miracle workers, we can’t create more space in a home. We can help to utilize the space that there is to the fullest.

“Life” happened to this person. A spouse died expectantly a year or so before, and things went kind of crazy. But they wanted some help and guidance.

There were several cats in the home, and thank goodness I didn’t have allergies. But getting used to the smell wasn’t easy either.

Suggestions:

1) Sort through the Clutter. Separate into A) keep B) Donate C) Store D) Trash/Recycle

2) Rearrange if needed to make a usable space – Move bill area to the sturdy desk and decrease need for the folding table.

3) Use existing supplies (client didn’t have finances to purchase new)

4) Clean the space (cat droppings, dust, dirt)

5) Support the client in her decisions

It was a very long day but we were able to accomplish making a livable, usable space. Simple but workable.

If you are wondering… this person was not a hoarder. The rest of the house wasn’t not this bad. This was the “catch all” room that got out of control.  They were open to getting rid of stuff and were very excited to have the room back.

What Happened:

1) We cleared out most of the clutter.

2) We kept the arrangement of furniture the same. The client liked having 2 separate desks and was not open to combining the work spaces.

3) We did basic cleaning. (Carpet cleaning and deep cleaning were still needed)

4) We separated paperwork into boxes  to go through later.

5) There was still several boxes to the left of this picture that the client had to go through. The budget did not allow for me to come back to help as we had planned. But I gave the client the basic knowledge so that they were able to ask themselves the same questions that we did when we worked together.

Not every space has to be organized to be “pretty”.  Being able to help people with the basics and to utilize what they already have is important. Often times I go into situations that the client really needs help. They might not have the finances to do anything but get the help – meaning… we work with what they have.

So… keep that in mind if you feel you don’t have the “money to organize”. I have heard that so often. Going through your things and deciding what to keep or give away doesn’t cost a dime. It just takes time.

Before:

After:

You can do a lot in one day. It wasn’t perfect, and there was still more work to be done… but together we were able to accomplish a lot.

If you have any spaces that you would like help on and would like to be featured in an upcoming week, please leave me a comment that you would like some help.

If you have any blog posts of an office that you have reorganized and would like to link it to my Organizing Mission- Monday link party – please add it to my Link party by clicking my button

I also would LOVE it if you could vote for my blog.  You can vote once a day!

Cleaning – Reviewing Mr. Clean

Everyone Knows Mr. Clean Products!

Organizing is my thing.  Cleaning… well… isn’t as much. (hate it!)  Yes.. you do clean when you organize, but the general house cleaning… and deep cleaning are no fun for me. I do wish that i was a bit OCD about it (only a little) and kept on top of it like I would love to.

I will admit that my husband got me the best early birthday present ever! I had a (almost entire house) deep cleaning done professionally.  There were 4 people that came in my house and were here from 9am-7:30pm!  Honest!  Everything… vents on walls, lamp globes and shades, behind the washer & dryer and refrig and oven! They did the windows!  I have been so busy and my house needed it… and I was getting more and more frustrated because I couldn’t get it done.  I’m not superman…. I can’t do it all!

I recently was asked to review a couple of Mr. Clean products. Mr Clean.. Mr. Clean… (can’t you just hear the song in your head?  Ok…if you can’t it’s because you aren’t old enough.. sigh)

First thing I did was the downstairs bathroom.  It needed it.

The first thing I noticed was the smell. I even looked at the bottle again. Oh..that is right it has Febreze in it! That is why it smelled so good.  Clean with a fresh smell… ahhhh..

Don’t forget those pesky tools you hide behind the toilet…

It says that it kills 99.9% of bacteria…. that I like!

Especially when cleaning these areas.

Now upstairs to the master bath.  Here is something that I have been using daily.. but not too fond of at the moment… lol

The shower track. Oh… what a pain that is to clean. But how nice it is to have clean.

They also sent me a Mr Clean Magic Eraser bath scrubber.  I love these things! They are amazing!

This is bigger than the normal Magic Eraser, and has the little texture to it. Plus a curved edge to help with the grip but also makes it easier to get in the corners.

This also came with that nice scent of Febreze!  The other thing that I liked about it was that it wasn’t falling apart when I scrubbed hard. That was the only negative thing about the Magic Eraser was that it kind of fall apart as you were cleaning.

This is one area of our shower that gets so much soap scum. That bar of soap drains down the side and leaves a terrible soap scum.  I love that I have the new Magic Eraser Bathroom scrubber to keep on top of it.

A clean bathroom is a happy bathroom.. is a happy mom!!

Disclosure: Mr Clean sent me 1 bottle of the Mr. Clean with Febreze Disinfecting Bath Cleaner and 1 box with 2 Mr Clean Magic Eraser Bathroom Scrubbers.  I was not compensated in any other way for this post. (other than a clean bathroom) The pictures and the thoughts are my own.

Rubbermaid Reveal Mop

Winner of the Reveal Mop

Random.org #6 is Emma Horton! Congrats Emma

Mopping made easier

I don’t know about you..but I don’t like to mop.  Rubbermaid has made this chore a little easier with the Reveal Mop. But as we organize, we need to clean. Our floors can get incredible dirty..even if they were clean before we started the job.

Here is a view of the new Rubbermaid Reveal  mop.  Please keep in mind that your mop will come already assembled if you purchase it in the store. It will come with 1 pad and only 1 refillable bottle.  (not 2)

I usually try to do my reviews on the same amount of info that I might have just walking into a store. I like to be “you” if that makes sense and not have all the info under my belt before I do the review. I want to feel fresh when I see the product. But sometimes like this…it can mess up my video a bit because I realize that I may mess up some of the info a bit.  But that is it… only 1 bottle, 1 pad and comes already put together when you buy it in the store.

Here are some “recipes” for cleaning solutions that Rubbermaid provided me with for you.
Cleaning Solution 1
2 Tablespoons ammonia
½ cup white vinegar
½ teaspoon of baby shampoo
Fill the rest with hot water
This solution works well on hardwood floors.

Cleaning Solution 2
2Tablespoons white vinegar
2-3 drops liquid soap
Fill the rest with hot water
This solution is perfect for glazed tiles, vinyl, soft tile, cement, brick, and laminate.

Cleaning Solution 3
2 Tablespoons baking soda
2-3 drops liquid soap
Fill the rest with hot water
This solution is great for unglazed tiles, marble, stone, and slate.

Cleaning Solution 4
1 Tablespoon white vinegar
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
Fill the rest with hot water
This solution also works well on hardwood floors.

Please follow all manufacture recommendations when choosing products to clean your floor.

The pad is made out of microfibers that are ultra-thin. They are 1/100 the thickness of a strand of hair. (wow!) the wide pad reaches further into cracks and crevices to pick up 50% more dirt than sponge mops according to Rubbermaid. This pad also helps your floor to not only get cleaner, but helps them to dry faster.

To Purchase:

You can find the Rubbermaid Reveal Mop online here or at Home Depot. They will be coming to Walmart and Target in August (so start watching your store for it!) .

To Win a Rubbermaid Reveal mop:   **CONTEST IS CLOSED**

To ENTER:  Go to Rubbermaid Reveal Mop online and watch the video then tell me how much money on average you will save per year by owning a Reveal Mop **Be sure to come back here and leave me your answer in your comment. Your e-mail has to either in your comment or on your profile.

 

You can see my other giveaways going on here:  Bissell Lift-Off MultiCyclonic Pet Vacuum (ends 9/16)

Disclosure: I was sent this Rubbermaid Reveal mop free of charge.  I used their recipes for mixture and used some of the information about the pad for my desciption.  The pictures and video and opinions are all my own.

Spring Cleaning

Spring at our Farm

Spring Cleaning

The Sun is out, it is warming up…things are beginning to grow and you want to clean.  The spring brings new growth, new smells of flowers and grass.  The windows are open…the breezing blowing in – and you don’t want it to blow papers all over your house and stir up pet hair and dust bunnies do you?

Where to Start?

To clean, you need to “put away”. Many time there in lies the problem. There may be no place to “put away” to.  Clutter building up can increase the difficulty of cleaning.  So do you dust around the piles of “stuff”, or do you just not dust because that just seems silly.

Start your cleaning much like you start your organizing.

1) Set aside a time to clean each room

2) Get cleaning supplies, bucket of cleaner or spray (I personally like Odo-ban). Rubber gloves (because it doesn’t seem so gross to clean if you have on gloves). Trash bags – black for trash, white for donate.

3) Start in one place. This is a great time to sort through the clutter. Sort quick, clear off a surface and clean it well.

4) Be sure to clean your walls, inside drawers, baseboards, etc.

5) Have your family help you. Many hands can accomplish the task much quicker than just yours.

I reviewed a book last year called Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Home Book . The contest is closed, but you can go look at the review.  She has some great tips for cleaning….anything you can imagine!

Guest Post

Decluttering The Toys

by Stephanie Calahan

She has some great advice and was wonderful to offer me two guest posts on kids and organizing.
Please read Stephanie’s post as she offers her thoughts on helping kids to sort through their toys.

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‘Disappear’ Toys or Ask Your Child to Choose Which Ones to Give Up?

One of my Twitter friends @CarlaYong posted this question

“A question for the Moms out there: better to ‘disappear’ toys or ask your child to choose which ones to give up?  A bit more info on my Q: DD just turned 4YO & has previously willingly given up toys to younger friends & does get attached to everything!”

I am asked this question frequently, so I thank Carla for the blog post inspiration!  Keep reading for my reply.

When my son was about 2 years old, we started teaching him how to make choices about his belongings.  He was very into picking toys, books, clothes, etc. that could go to another kid that did not have as much as he did.  He was excellent and empathetic, and we thought, “Wow, this is going to be easier than we thought.”

At about the same age he was a complete and total Elmo fan. He had all kinds of Elmo things.  There was one in particular — it was a simple stuffed Elmo.  Nothing fancy to him, but Elmo was his best buddy and went everywhere with him.

Well, over time, he of course lost interest in Elmo.  When he was about 5 years old, we were in his play room in the basement going through his things.  Out popped Elmo.  Since he had not played with stuffed toy in at least two years, I suggested that Elmo should go to a new home.  This is somewhat of how the conversation went…

“NO!!!!!“ he screamed, quite passionately.  “I don’t want him to go….” he whimpered

So I tried to reason with him first…

“But D, you have not played with him in a long time.  Do you really think that you are going to play with him again?”

He then looks at me with those loving, pitiful eyes that only your child can get away with…

“Momma, I’ll play with him now that I remember him.”

OK, reason did not work like it used to.  He is now old enough to have learned that “things” hold some kind of emotional value.  Elmo represented his first best buddy.  Elmo was comfort and fun times.  Elmo was before school work….  This would require a totally different strategy… how about greed?

“OK, but what if we sold Elmo at the resell shop and he will go to a little boy or girl that really likes him?  You can take the money and get something else.“

“No, I don’t want Elmo to go to someone else.  He is MY friend.”

AAAHHHH!!  I had it figured out now.  I could do a lesson on friendship and still de-clutter.

“But how do you think Elmo feels?“

“What do you mean?”

“Well, have you been a very good friend to him lately?  I mean, think about it D.  Elmo used to go with you everywhere.  He played with you and visited cool places with you and stayed in your nice comfy bed at night. Now look at him.  He is in the cold basement in the back of a dark cabinet!“

“Oh no!  I have been a terrible friend.  I am so sorry Elmo.” he cried hugging the toy.  “Mom, I don’t want Elmo to feel sad.”

It was at that point that he acknowledged (to himself) that he really would not play with Elmo anymore.

“OK, I tell you what… Ms. Jeannine has a little boy who LOVES Elmo now.  How about we drive over to her salon and we can give her Elmo for her little boy.  That way, you know where he is going and you know that he will continue to be loved.“

“OK.  Can we do it now?”

So, we drove over to my friend’s salon and while we were parked, my son had a tearful goodbye with his first best friend.  We then walked into the salon and he talked with my stylist and explained that he wanted her son to have him.

She was touched—you could tell that this was a difficult parting for my son.  She even teared up a bit.

As we drove home, we stopped by Dairy Queen for a little treat.  As we ate our ice cream he was already giggling and talking about other things.

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I told this in a story form because I think it is important to see how this technique can play out in a situation with your child.  By personifying Elmo – by giving him feelings and making him more like a live person – my child had a totally different way of looking at the situation.

Yes, the drive to the salon took more time than I had originally allotted for that particular project, but my son learned so many good lessons:

• Empathy – thinking of how his actions could make someone else feel.

• Charity/Generosity – thinking of how my stylist’s son would enjoy playing with the toy.

• How to Make Difficult Decisions – it was not easy for my son to make the choice he did, but by helping him learn to make that choice at 5-years-old, other more difficult choices at a later age would be easier to make.

• Mom Was There for Him – because I did not take the toy out behind his back, or tell him that he had no choice…because I took the time to help him make a decision his way and gave him the respect to say goodbye to a good friend and understand his feelings.

Overall, I’d say that was worth it for me!  Since then, we have had other challenges when it is time to let things go and as he gets older, I use more of the techniques that I use with my adult clients.  But this, by far, is one of my favorite de-cluttering stories.

How would you have handled this situation?  Do you think I took it too far?  What are your thoughts?  How have you helped your child let go of things?  I know my Twitter friend would love the tips and my other readers would too.  Please share in the comments section below.

To your success!
Stephanie
@StephCalahan

You can hear more from Stephanie at her business blog or her family/home blog or get social/network with her!

Guest Post

Make Your Own Household Cleaner

by Heather

Heather of Just Doing My Best has a great blog with all kinds of information and cost effective solutions. I saw this post and thought it was great. I didn’t know you could make a cleaner this easy so I thought my readers would be interested too!
Thanks so much Heather for your blog and being gracious and sharing with us.

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Thank you to Sandy for asking me to guest post on her website. I know she is diligent and careful in the content and information she shares with her readers, so I have been honored.

How to Make a Powerful Cleaner From Your Pantry

If you are anything like me, when an item in my kitchen inherits a stubborn stain, I have a hard time putting it away with the stain still taunting me. At one time, it took quite a bit of elbow grease, time, and product to remove the stain. Even then sometimes, the stain remained. After a few years of fighting that losing battle, I learned that I already had the 2 ingredients in my kitchen that would take care of most of the stains that I would encounter.

Chances are, you probably have baking soda and lemon juice hiding in your fridge. Fresh lemon or bottled are both fine. Sprinkle a little baking soda into a bowl and enough lemon juice to make a paste. This powerful concoction has removed a myriad of stains from my white counter tops and even rust spots that would not budge, left on white dishes from a dishwasher. If the stain still will not budge after the initial cleaning, spread the paste over the item and let it sit for a bit. If it the stain still will not budge, cover it with paste and let it sit outside in the sunshine for a while.

Homemade cleaners are becoming increasingly popular due to their low cost and health benefits and this powerful concoction has become one of my favorite solutions to keeping a clean kitchen.

I own and write at Just Doing My Best where my mission is to help and inspire ladies to do their best in their own homes. I believe none of us are perfect but ideally, we are just doing our best and our best is all we have to offer.
Heather