Originally posted to Instagram on May 6, 2024.
Ugh keeping up with the household chores. It never ends.
And for some reason it seems like we moms are the only ones committing to keeping up with it!
Where are our husbands and children to contribute? I mean honestly most of the mess is theirs…
Instead of doing what probably feels like the natural way to kick their asses into gear – nagging – try following these steps to make doing chores together as a family a fun experience for everyone!
1 – Pick a reward.
Choose a reward that will motivate everyone to want to help out. Ice cream or some TV time with their favorite show will usually do the trick!
2 – Set a timer.
Pick a reasonable amount of time for everyone to tidy up or work on the chore you want them to accomplish. For younger kids, only 5 or 10 minutes might be enough, but you can expand on this as they get older.
3 – Play music.
Crank up the tunes while you are working together to make your chores more fun! Choose upbeat favorites that everyone can sing and swing to as you work.
4 – Game-ify.
Try making whatever chore you’re doing together into a game. Maybe the kids need to throw their toys into the toybox like they’re playing basketball or they have to race against each other to see who can fold their laundry baskets first.
5 – Enjoy the fun.
This is the hardest step for us moms. Embrace the time you are spending together with your family. Trust that you are teaching your kids good clean-up skills that will benefit you more and more over time, and these few minutes together are valuable for the memories they create and not just the mess they eliminate.
Now, Mama. The point of these steps is not to get your house spick and span with a little army of smiling faces. Nope.
What we are aiming for here is to start building the habit of getting your family involved with the clean-up effort and making it more fun for everyone.
Doing housework doesn’t always have to be a boring chore but can be something you all can do together that only takes a few minutes and actually can be somewhat enjoyable.
And you know who else needs to learn this lesson?
YOU DO!
It takes patience and a refined art of letting go of perfection so that you can actually learn that the time spent with your family is more important than a spot-free home.
Fuck the mess and try to enjoy the moments together dancing it out while you tidy – that’s the most important thing you can take away!
XO – Bailee