School Holidays Survival Guide Cleaning with Kids at Home

Cooler weather, school holidays and COVID-19 restrictions in some parts of the country mean our kids are spending a lot of time at home right now.

And our usually tidy households are paying the price.

It can be tough keeping your home clean with kids around, especially younger ones. We have a few easy ways to stay on top of the mess however, that you can start implementing today.

Try them out and see how you go.

5 Tips for Cleaning with Kids at Home

1) Restrict The Number of Toys in Living Areas

You’ll be amazed what a difference this tip can make.

Leave some of your child’s favourite toys in the loungeroom, but put the rest away stored neatly in a room (like a basement or spare room) where you don’t have to see it often but is easily pulled out if wanted during playtime.

Think of it like you are using your basement or spare room as a staging area, allowing you to keep your main living space as neat as possible. Don't forget to keep these areas at least a little organised, too.

You can also do it this way. Leave ‘activity’ toys (items likely to be pulled out during play time) in the loungeroom and put other items like stuffed toys or items that don’t get played with as often in the storage room. I have just started using the bedroom as an alternate storage option, utilising extra wardrobe space.

Invest in some storage boxes for a personal touch to the toy zone of your living area. These storage options from Kmart are practical, affordable and cute, too. Let the kids pick some colourful options. An added bonus? Less toys in the living room makes the clean-up much easier.

2) Everything Back Where It Belongs

I remember watching a lifestyle TV program once about keeping a clean home, and they used the fork as an example of something that, if you saw a fork somewhere it shouldn’t be in your home, you would very easily know exactly where it needed to be returned to. It recommended that this should apply to all items in your home.

Having designated places for things around your home makes clean up time simpler both for you and for kids who may be helping (yes, you can dream). It will also make it go a lot quicker. That's a big win!

Remember to use common sense when sorting out your storage, using labels where you think it is necessary. Put any toys used regularly up front, or in easy to reach boxes Ask your kids for help with this one as well.

3) Be Realistic

With kids around, your home is never going to be Pinterest-worthy. And that’s okay. You need to accept that your idea of a tidy home pre-children doesn’t exist for the time being. Having kids means mess, but there are ways to keep that mess to a minimum.

These tips aren't too tough to implement and they'll go a long way to making clean up time that little bit easier for everyone.

Pick-up time, whether it’s toys or other items, should happen following playtime and again before you go to bed. A quick pick-up around the house should only take 10 minutes and it’s definitely worthwhile waking up to a clean home. One day’s worth of mess is easier to pick up than a pile after a few days!

4) Get Their Help

Your children, whether young or older, can definitely lend a hand with the cleaning. You can turn it into a time-based game, and at the same time, give them pride in their belongings.

You can set up something like a chore chart or job jar to make the to-do list more exciting for the kids, with small rewards for completed tasks. Make the reward either something small or an experience that you can do together.

It may take some patience, knowing that things won’t be completed to perfection but it will be worth it in the long run. Experts say this set up is a great way to teach kids responsibility. This blog has some fantastic tips detailing some of the jobs you can get the kids onto around the home.

5) Selective Screen Time

Too much screen time isn’t recommended however using that half an hour of their favourite TV show to your advantage is a game-changer when it comes to keeping a clean home.

Prioritise what chores are important to you and focus on those in your half hour of power. You'd be surprised at how quickly that 30 minutes can go. Don’t beat yourself up about it either; a healthy, clean home (and calm parents) is worth an episode of Paw Patrol, if you ask me.

I personally use this time to fold that always growing pile of laundry. It means I can get a job done while still being able to answer any Paw Patrol plotline related questions my 3 year-old may have.