It’s a New Year, it’s supposed to be a new me, but the same old I-don’t-want-to-clean-Chrissy is still here. Luckily, there’s still time to teach my kids good housekeeping habits so they don’t risk growing up to be slobs! Here’s how I get my kids to clean up after themselves - even after the super dirty messes (including a free Flower Petal Chore Chart at the end of the post!).

Please share in the comments if you have any good tips that have worked at your house!

Five Tips For Getting Your Children To Do Their Chores

1. Set a Routine.

Try to follow the same cleaning up routine every day. For instance, pick up the toys at 5 o’clock every day, fold the laundry every Sunday afternoon, and unload the dishwasher every morning before breakfast. Your kids will get used to the rhythm of housework and it will seem like a normal part of their day.

2. Make it Easy.

Label the kids’ toy storage or dresser drawers so they can easily pick up and put things away themselves.

3. Create a Kid-Friendly Cleaning Kit.

Stock up on eco-friendly, kid-safe cleaning supplies so your children don’t need to be banned from a room while you do all the heavy duty housework in a cloud of toxic fumes. My 2.5 year old can easily wipe down a table with a rag and my 4 year old can handle a Method All Purpose Cleaner spray gun like a pro.

4. Make it Fun.

Whistle while you work. Or sing, or dance, or play a game like crumb hockey while you’re sweeping!

For me, using a cleaner that makes me feel like I’m at a spa instead of a hospital makes even the most unpleasant cleaning experience a happy one. One of my faves is the Method All Purpose Cleaner in Ginger Yuzu. I almost want to drink it!

5. Follow a Chore Chart.

There are tons of free chore chart printables out there, but if you’re looking for something a little less boring, try our fun Chore Chart Activity that your preschooler can put together herself:

What I love about this DIY Flower Petal Chore Chart is:

• Your child can put it together herself
• You’re getting your child excited to complete a project from start to finish
• You’re encouraging early reading and writing
• It makes chores fun, not … a chore!

Plus, you might even be the lucky recipient of an entire bouquet of flowers at the end of each day (depending on how many children you have!)

DIY Magnetic Flower Chore Chart Tutorial

Step 1 - Download the printable here.

Step 2 - Cut out the petals, center, and stem.

Step 3 - Color in or decorate your flower, including writing down the chore names in easy to understand words.

Step 4 - Glue or tape the stem of the flower to the center.

Step 5 - Attach Self-Adhesive Magnetic Coins to the petal backs and the top of the stem.

Tips: You can make your chore chart in many other ways if you don’t have Self-Adhesive Magnetic Coins. Use fasteners (punch a hole through the flower center and the petals to push the fasteners through); use velcro; or use non-permanent double-sided tape. Also, you’ll get more use out of this chart if you print it out on cardstock instead of regular paper and laminate it, too.

And, the petals are pre-marked 1 through 5 so your child will be learning numbers as well as order and organization.

Happy Cleaning!

Disclaimer: I was given a budget to cover the cost of purchasing a bottle of Method All Purpose Cleaner from Method Home.

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Chrissy – who has written 426 posts on The Outlaw Mom® Blog - Creative Living in a Conventional World.

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