Today, we'll be cleaning up the kids' rooms. Yesterday, we worked on preparing a place for everything. Now it's time to put stuff into those places. At our house, this is the kind of task that requires a timer! After telling the kids how long I'll require their hard work, we'll begin "Operation Clean-Up". Dirty clothes into the laundry. Books onto the shelves. Toys back in the closet.
Sometimes, when things have been let go for far too long, this job can seem overwhelming to the kids. To help with this, I'll work right along side of them. If they'll work hard, I'll work hard with them. For my older kids, I encourage them to work their way across the room. Even if the room doesn't get finished in one day, it gives them a sense of accomplishment to see the progress they made on the clean side. For younger kids, I give them a more specific job. They might be in charge of gathering and returning all books. Or they might be asked to concentrate on picking up the Legos. I find that this keeps them focused on the task, without being distracted by the many other things calling out for their attention.
Keep in mind that this job may take more than one day to complete, but that's alright. There's always tomorrow!
Photo credit: jakem
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