How to Get Your Kids to Do Chores

photo by Horton Web Design

Getting your children to do chores can be a chore itself. Here are some tips for making it less stressful:

Start Young
Toddlers love helping out. Take advantage of their desire and curiosity and find simple things for them to do that they would enjoy, like taking laundry out of the washer and dryer. Starting young also establishes chores as part of your daily routine, and your kids will accept it as normal.
 
Ask Politely
Your children will be more likely to help out if you ask politely and calmly. Other useful ways are to give them a window of time instead of asking right away (ex: "In five minutes/when your show is over could you please put your shoes away?") and framing the question as a group effort (ex: "Let's put the dishes away.").

Set Clear Expectations
Be sure your child knows which chores to do and when/how often to do them. Keep them the same for younger kids for consistency and to teach them responsibility and allow them to improve. Rotate chores for older kids for fairness and to teach them new skills. Make your directions for completing the task very clear. Specific instructions will help prevent arguing over how and when the job is done. Also forewarn them of any consequences if the chore is not done.

Show Teamwork
When children are young, help them out with their chores and show them how teamwork can make the work go quickly and efficiently. Your kids will then be more likely to help you or their siblings out with chores when asked since they receive help with theirs.

Give Praise
Let your kids know when they do a good job and always thank them for contributing to a clean, organized home. Kids who are appreciated are more willing to continue helping.

How do you get your kids to do chores?

How to Reuse Everyday Household Items

If you want to save money and the planet, then reuse your everyday household items. There is a lot you can do with things you would normally throw away.

• TOOTHBRUSHES: Used toothbrushes work great for cleaning, especially for cleaning grout, fabric stains, and around faucets. Just be sure to mark them and keep them away from the kids!
• PLASTIC BAGS: Plastic bags can be used as trash bags in the home or car, and make good packing bags. I like to put shoes and bath items in plastic bags before packing them in my suitcase so that my clothes won’t get dirty, wet, or stained.
• TISSUE BOXES: Empty tissue boxes make good storage containers for plastic bags and napkins.
• SHOEBOXES: Use a shoebox like a pencil box to store office supplies, markers and crayons, and craft materials. You can also store cards, letters, and homemade gifts you want to keep.Or use them as toy bins in the kids' rooms!
• PAPER: Save paper only printed on one side for your kids to color on or for you to make to-do/shopping lists.
• JARS: Jars are great storage containers for many things; for example, leftover sauces and oil, coins, beads, buttons, cotton balls, etc.
• SOCKS: Instead of throwing away socks with holes or missing partners, use them for cleaning and dusting. You can cut them open or stick your hand in them.
• OTHER ODDS AND ENDS: Gather together all the random items your kids could use for crafts (and store in a shoebox!). It will encourage creativity and leave you and your kids guilt-free if the craft breaks or gets thrown away.

How to Teach Your Baby to Clean Up

Making his first mess!

Ever since Caden was a baby people have been amazed to see him clean up his toys and other messes. They were in awe that a child so young could and would do it. I think people greatly underestimate what babies and toddlers can do. They are little sponges just waiting to soak up every ounce of knowledge they can. We must take advantage of this time to instill in them good habits before they reach the age where they realize those things aren't fun to do! But if it's something they have been doing for as long as they can remember, it becomes second nature to them and they don't think twice about it.

That doesn't mean Caden is perfect. He still is 2! He sometimes gets distracted and starts playing with the toys again instead of cleaning them up. But overall, he is a clean child, especially when he spills something. He doesn't need me to tell him to clean it up because he freaks out! He's a little OCD about food getting on him or his eating area.

Anyway, here are some tips to help you teach your baby how to clean up the toys:

1. Start as soon as Baby can play with toys on his or her own, around 6 months. At the end of the day, sing the "Clean Up" song as you put away the toys while Baby watches you. It is important that Baby sees you do this and is not in another room or sleeping. 
2. Be consistent so Baby knows and expects this everyday. Once you've established the daily habit of cleaning up, help Baby pick up a toy or two and put them away.
3. Clean up more frequently as Baby's play times increase. Good times to clean up are before nap, before dinner, and before bed. You can also teach putting away one toy before getting out another.
4. Wait patiently for Baby to help you clean up on his or her own (Caden did at about 12 months). Never force it. Give lots of praise when it finally happens so Baby knows it is a good and positive thing to do. 
5. Continue to do this and soon you won't need to help at all! However, it is not bad to still help because it teaches your toddler team work and kindness (he or she is more likely to help you clean your messes in return).

As your baby becomes a toddler and starts to learn things like colors, shapes, and numbers, you can incorporate this learning into cleaning up. For example, ask your toddler to pick up a red toy. If your toddler gets distracted and wants to play with the toys again, make cleaning up a game. For example, pretending to wash the dishes in the play kitchen and putting them away, driving the cars back into their bucket, or pushing stuffed animals in a shopping cart to the bed.

Good luck! You and your baby can do this and have a mess free home!

Clean These Forgotten Germ Homes

photo by Svilen Milev

The number one way to prevent the spread of disease is washing your hands. So simple, yet so many people don't do it. Why not take it a step further and remember to clean these frequently touched items to kill germs:

1. Light switches
2. Door knobs and car door handles
3. Refrigerator and freezer handles
4. Remote controls
5. Computer keyboard and mouse
6. Landline and cell phones
7. Steering wheel and seat belts
8. Pens, pencils, scissors, etc.
9. Drawer handles (or around the edges if no handles)
10. Other buttons and knobs: washer, dryer, dishwasher, DVD player, A/C, alarm system, iPod, camera, car radio, etc.

All it takes is a quick wipe from a Lysol wipe or all-purpose cleaner and cloth, like Shaklee and Skoy.

Shaklee Basic H2 Cleaner Giveaway [CLOSED]

Ever since I had my baby, cleaning the house has gone to the wayside--not because of time, but because I don't want my baby around all the chemicals. I have to wait for my husband to be home so he can take the baby away from where I am cleaning. Therefore, when my friend recently became a distributor for Shaklee, a green health company, and asked if I would host a giveaway of their all-purpose cleaner, I was thrilled!

When I received her sample of the Basic H2, I was a little surprised. She had warned me it was small, but I wasn't expecting a tiny 2 ml bottle. When my husband saw it, he said, "This is the cleaner?" However, the solution is super concentrated: two drops added to 16 oz. of water make a bottle of window cleaner, and 1/4 tsp. added to 16 oz. of water makes a bottle of all-purpose cleaner.

I decided to try it on a variety of stuff. Here is what I cleaned and how it rated:

• Bathroom mirror: Excellent. At first, the mirror was all streaks. I was skeptical until the cleaner quickly dried streak free, better than Windex!
• Bathroom sink: Excellent. It worked just as well as the harsher stuff I use. And it took me less time because I didn't have to wear gloves or make sure the sink was throroughly rinsed of all bleach-based cleaner.
• Shoes: Ok. Then again, my shoes are pretty old and really need shoe polish.
• Baby's toys: Good. Saves me from wasting Lysol wipes.
• Baby's potty chair: Good.
• Baby's bumbo: Good.
• Carpet stain: Excellent! The other day I knocked the potty chair and poo spilled on the carpet. The cleaner got it right out! I tried it on a really old stain too, but alas, my hopes were too high.
• Kitchen stove: Excellent. Great degreaser.
• Kitchen sink: Excellent. I will definitely be cleaning it more often now!

Smiles
*I cleaned all of the above using only 3 oz., most of which was wasted on the old carpet stain.
*I feel confident cleaning with my baby around.
*I love not having to wear gloves, rinsing over and over again to remove all cleaner, keeping the windows vented, and showering immediately so I don't smell like bleach.
*No lingering odor, even on your hands.
*The price is unbeatable! Broken down it's about 25 cents per gallon of all-purpose cleaner and 1 cent per gallon of window cleaner.

Frowns
*Nothing I can think of.

Safe and Natural Living is giving away a 2 ml sample of the Basic H2.

Mandatory 1st Entry: Visit her site and tell me what you like most about the company and its products.

5 entries: Blog about this giveaway, linking to this post and to Safe and Natural Living. Leave the link to your blog post in your comment.

2 entries: Like Safe and Natural Living on Facebook.

1 entry: Like The Hand That Rocks the Cradle on Facebook.

1 entry: Follow this blog via GFC.

1 entry: Follow the seller's blog Crafting with My Cub via GFC.

1 entry: Post this giveaway on Facebook.

Please leave a separate comment for each entry. All entries must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. MST on Tuesday, March1. The winner will be announced Wednesday, March 2. Please leave your email address in one of your comments so I can contact you if you win. Good luck!

Skoy Cloths Giveaway [CLOSED]

When I entered giveaways, almost every blog featured Skoy cloths--reusable, biodegradable cloths to replace paper towels, dish towels, and sponges. I thought, What's the big deal about them? So I decided to review them myself. I wasn't even sure I would use them because I only use paper towels for drying fruits and vegetables and cleaning up spills on the floor, I like using sponges for washing dishes, and I hate dish towels. However, after using it this morning to clean my kitchen, I'm now a believer!

Smiles
*I love the way it feels when wet: not as if it's going to fall apart like a paper towel, and not grimy and bumpy like a sponge.
*It scrubbed well, which was unexpected since it is so soft.
*Skoy cloths are super green! They are made from cotton and wood-pulp cellulose and completely break down after 5 weeks.
*You will save lots of money. The package comes with 4 cloths, each replacing up to 15 rolls of paper towels!
*They are easy to clean/disinfect.
*The four colors (blue, red, green, yellow) brighten up the kitchen.
*The company is very PR friendly!

Frowns*When I first wet it, it smelled a little funny. But the odor did not last or transfer to the kitchen.
*I usually disinfect my sponges in the microwave, which you can do for these as well, but I decided to test the company's promise that they are washer/dryer safe. It was fine in the wash, but it shrank about a third in the dryer.

Skoy has generously provided cloths for 2 WINNERS!

Mandatory 1st Entry: Visit Skoy and read "Our Products." What do you like most about Skoy cloths?

5 entries: Blog about this giveaway, including a link to this post and to Skoy. Leave a link to your blog post.

2 entries: Put my button on your blog.

1 entry: Like Skoy on Facebook.

1 entry: Like The Hand That Rocks the Cradle on Facebook.

1 entry: Post this giveaway on Facebook.

1 entry: Follow my blog.

Please leave a separate comment for each entry. All entries must be posted by 11:59 p.m. MST on Sunday, December 26. The winner will be announced Monday, December 27. Please leave your email address in one of your entries so I can contact you if you win. Good luck!