This Mother’s Day, Leave House Cleaning to the Kids

How can I get my family to help with chores? Whether you work inside or outside the home, it’s a question you probably ask yourself regularly.

Did you know? Women dedicate twice as much time to caregiving and other domestic tasks as men. Busy schedules only make us feel behind. Yet we’re glorified multitaskers—shuffling kids to sports, getting dinner ready, and handling work projects.

So this Mother’s Day, why not take a load off (quite literally)?   

A business needs systems to keep it running smoothly, as does your home. The good news: you can tame the chaos—the house cleaning—by sending in the recruits! Recent research suggests children who participate in regular household chores exhibit strong problem-solving abilities and high academic aptitude.

The verdict: tidying up is a win-win for everyone. Even if your “tiny army” begs to differ.

Here is how to keep your home running like a well-oiled machine. Or, as we like to say, kid-dusted, mother-approved.

What is a Home Management System?

A home management system is a process used to manage your household effectively. It can include anything from meal planning to budgeting. And, of course, house cleaning. Simply put, your home management system ensures all participating family members fulfill domestic responsibilities. 

When creating this type of system, it’s essential to take it slow. Dedicate time up front to streamline a plan that works for you and your family. Consider challenges and try to address them first. 

For example, suppose you already have an excellent process for tackling laundry. In that case, there’s no reason to start over. But, if no one ever wants to clean the bathroom, break out a new strategy (and the disinfectant wipes).

Creating a Home Management System

Your house cleaning should rotate daily, weekly, and deep clean cycles. Decluttering could also translate to morning and evening routines, depending on what works for you.

• Daily: These are household cleaning tasks to be done each day. This typically means surface-level cleaning—not serious sanitation. For example, loading the dishwasher or wiping down the kitchen counters.
• Weekly: These are slightly larger tasks that require more effort. For example, a full bathroom scrub-down, washing the bedding, and remaking the sheets. 
• Deep Cleaning: You want to clean these things, but not every week. Think washing windows or vacuuming under the couch cushions—something you might take on once a month. 

You’ll want to make your routine as efficient and repeatable as possible so the entire family can stick to it. It may take some trial and error, but house cleaning will be much more manageable.

Home Management Checklists

Checklists are an essential part of any home management system. When parents assign weekly, age-appropriate tasks, it provides children with structure, expectations, and positive reinforcement. And can extend to spouses and partners, too!

Many households implement a whiteboard system, where to-dos can be checked off daily or weekly.  

Pro Tip: Create a chore management binder. This helpful tool archives detailed instructions for your household cleaning routines and systems. You can also include which cleaning products to use for each task. 

Reward Systems

A reward system can motivate helping with light chores if you have little ones in your household. In fact, rewards don’t have to be complicated or expensive. More often, simpler items work better.

Older children might earn screen time—scrolling social media or playing video games—in exchange for completing chores. For younger kids, stickers (a.k.a. a gold star) or other small treats often do the trick. Talk to your kids, uncover what incentivizes them, and elicit their sense of responsibility, discipline, and autonomy. 

On Mother’s Day and Every Day… Lean on Your Support System

As a mom, you might be used to running a household on your own. Creating a home management system, though, should be a group effort. Hold a family meeting to discuss the “how” and the “why” of keeping a clean, organized space. The reasons behind the plan could help it make more sense to everyone.

As a business owner and a mom, our CEO Pat Claybrook knows the importance of systems and processes. She implemented management plans at her home while getting her business off the ground. She now applies the same meticulousness to Jidan Cleaning.

So, if you’re looking for an unparalleled, customized commercial cleaning protocol for your workspace, reach out today at 609.714.0426. As a successful woman-owned business, the Jidan Cleaning team knows how effective strategies can create the best results.