Mommy Tip # 6 - Clean up!

Cleaning our home is a loooooong process as I have a very willing little helper who insists she be my right hand as I sweep and mop. There are days when I'll notice areas that have been swept free of dust now have new trails of dust thanks to Bunny girl's sweeping. Each time I feel I need to stop her from helping me I remind myself that through the additional dust trails and new footprint soils, I'm building up a little lady who learns the necessity of keeping one's surroundings clean.

I still remember when Bunny girl was close to turning two and we were in the church nursery one Wednesday Bible study evening. Service had finished and the lady who watches the kids in the nursery was picking up the toys. Bunny girl immediately left my side, toddled over to the floor and began to help her pick up the strewn toys singing "Keen Up Keen Up Eveebuddy Eveewhere" (Clean up Clean up Everybody Everywhere) I was touched and that day I learnt the little things we instill in our kids at home, get practised when they go out.

Here are some of my clean up tips:

1. Even though their little smudgy fingers may not clean your sparkling glass table or bathroom mirrors impeccably allow your little ones to help. Have 2 wipe cloths, one for you and the other for your little helper.
2. I generally use organic based cleaning solutions as I noticed Bunny girl would sneeze and develop a runny nose when I used regular agents. I swear by Green Works!
3. Allow your little helper to sweep the floor after you've finished the first round and after they do their bit, you can quickly run through with your broom one last time( just in case!)
4. When I mop I generally don't allow Bunny girl to use the mop on the floors (Water + Kid = Messy puddles of fun = Slips and Falls!) but I do allow her to dip the mop in the bucket a certain number of times before I use it. (For example, I tell Bunny girl to dip the mop in the water solution 7 times and she has to dip the mop in and lift it out just above the water level 7 times. This helps with their counting too)
5. After 'Clean up' is through, wash wash wash your hands and then sit back and enjoy your spotlessly clean home for 5 seconds before the pile of toys and smudges find their way back into position.

Cleaning up Bunny girl's toys and books is also another task she participates in. We sing the clean up song and do this together and now that she is a little older, she does know there is a place for everything.

We do not live in a perfect world so there are those days of "I don't want to clean" and "I like messy" but what home with kids is not complete with those 'hurricane just hit here' days.

So go pick up that broom and grab your little helper and....Have Fun!