Thankful that My Kids Know How to Clean -- Here's How We Do It!

Enjoy this classic post, originally written in 2017. The information is still used in our home today!

This Thanksgiving was a bit rough. We all came down with the stomach flu, and dinner at my grandma's was canceled. I still managed to get a turkey in the oven, pre-made stuffing on the stove, and a frozen pie on the table. But it was my kids who really managed to pull through.

When everything was a rush around us, there were always a few of our 6 kids who were feeling better than others. Those kids managed to help with more chores than usual. Laundry, dishes, cleaning the bathroom, vacuuming -- you name it! And my house is by no means "company ready", but it's in much better condition than had I waited to feel better to clean it myself.

That's the joy of having kids who know how to do chores. My boys have learned to do laundry from the time they were 9. They can sweep, scrub, do toilets, and do dishes by 11. At 15, there is no excuse not to do all the things grownups do. Even my 13-year-old makes 3-5 meals a week!

Not only is all this help necessary to keep our ship running smoother than normal, but it's great life lessons training for the kids. No one will walk out of this house with no idea how to run a load of laundry. All of them can put healthy meals on the table from scratch. Each has the ability to take a home from trashed to presentable with a few hours of hard work. 

How did I train them? It was hard work. Sometimes, they get lazy, and things lay everywhere. That's why the consistency of a program like Zone Cleaning for Kids has been extremely useful in keeping kids on their toes. The flipchart has a page for each room in the home. Tasks are laid out simply and completely. There is no confusion on how to wipe crumbs or sort colors.

I purchased this program for my kids a year ago. I wish I had started using it years ago! It's completely in line with raising capable, responsible kids to be productive and joyful adults!

If you've been wondering if this program works, and you're tired of reward charts, stickers, and the rest.. give it a try! It think you'll find it works for grownups, too!