Hey there! You’re listening to the Mighty Mommy with some quick and dirty tips for practical parenting.
Today I’m going to talk about one of the great challenges experienced by many moms who have contacted me. It is definitely an issue that I deal with every day. Sometimes it feels like every minute of every day, but it’s probably not as bad as it feels. I’m talking about the challenge of getting chores done with your kids present and awake. I don’t know about you, but if my kids take a nap, I take a break. Well, I don’t always take that break, but I need it as much as they do, so I try to get in some “me” time during their naptime. Some moms like to use that time to get things done and there is nothing wrong with that, but what do you do if your kids don’t nap anymore or at the same time? How do you get things done without plopping your kids down in front of the TV? I’m going to share a few ideas that will keep the kids busy while you work.
If your kids are still at an age where they want to help, I suggest giving them jobs to do. This makes them happy, helps you, and might even encourage them to continue being helpful when they are older. The trick is to reward them for helping even if they are helping simply because they enjoy it. Give your kids stickers, change for their piggy banks or whatever type of reward you would normally give them for a job well done. Don’t promise the reward up front. Give it to them when they’ve done something helpful and let them know you appreciated the help. I know I’d be more encouraged to help if someone recognized my efforts afterward! Kids can help out with several chores that you may not have considered.
My daughter loves to set the dinner table. I was always concerned that she’d break the dishes. We went to the dollar store and picked up some plastic plates and that solved the problem. Some meals require the nicer plates, but for the most part, we just use the plastic or paper plates and this allows her to set the table. She puts out the plates, the silverware and the napkins. She also likes to get the condiments out of the refrigerator so we keep them on the lower shelves where she can reach them. While I’m cooking dinner, prior to setting the table, I usually give the kids Play-Doh or coloring supplies so they can be in the room with me and play while I’m working. When it gets close to serving time, I have them clean up and then set the table. This keeps them occupied so I can get the meals ready and it also helps to get them more interested in sitting at the table as a family to eat together because they’ve helped to get everything ready. For meals with extra prep work, I let the kids help. Almost any time I have something that needs to be mixed, my kids love to take turns stirring. When I make a simple dish, like cheese crisps, I’ll let the kids help create their own plate. If we need cheese on top, I’ll let them grab a handful of cheese and sprinkle it on. Not only do they love to make their own plates, but it’s more likely that they’ll actually eat something if they’ve made it.
After dinner is done, some things kids can help with are clearing and wiping down the table, sweeping, and returning things to the fridge. Have the kids put the paper plates in the trash and plastic dishes in the sink. You may have to wipe the table after they do, but the idea is to keep them busy and to teach them to do these things while they are still young enough to enjoy them. If your broom is too big for your kids to handle you can buy a smaller version from a toy store. It will work just fine and the kids will love being able to sweep just like Mommy.
One of my least favorite jobs is laundry. That’s right. The Mighty Mommy does not like folding clothes. My daughter, however, loves folding towels and washcloths. She’s also discovering which drawers to put her own clothes away in. We generally put on a family movie and everyone helps, which helps to pass the time during this not-so-favorite chore of mine. The kids can also help me sort laundry by separating the clothes by colors. This is not only helpful, but it’s fun and educational too!
When it comes to vacuuming, the kids are willing to help me out if I promise to let them push the vacuum. This usually convinces them to pick up the toys that are in the way. We do have a small, toy vacuum as well that they can push around while I vacuum, but my daughter is big enough to help me push now. When they aren’t pushing, I let them guide me around the room and tell me what spots I’ve missed. It’s always fun when they get to tell Mommy what to do for a change. After your children help you with a task, make sure you thank them and let them know how much you appreciate their help.
If there are some things you need to get done around the house that you actually need to do on your own, such as paying bills or cleaning the bathroom, don’t feel bad if you let your kids watch some TV or a video. If your children are old enough, you can let them earn time to watch TV or play video games. You would want to create the rules based on your own feelings about how much time should be spent doing certain things. For example, if your daughter wants to earn video game time and your limit is one hour per day, you may want to offer her thirty minutes of play time in exchange for fifteen minutes of help around the house. You could also use the exchange system based on specific household duties. Give her four different jobs you want done and let her earn fifteen minutes for each completed job. I’m sure you get the idea. The best part of this system is that not only do you get some help, but then you get some additional time in which you can get things done while your child is occupied with the time she’s earned.
Finally, if all else fails and your little ones don’t want to help, but are very demanding of your attention and you just can’t get anything done, just stop. Spend some time with your kids. Give them ten minutes of your time. Give them more if you can! Just spend some one-on-one, or in my case one-on-two, quality time just playing, reading, or even just talking with your kids. Not only will this refresh and calm everyone, it will also let your kids know you are still there for them when they need and want you. If you give some direct time and attention to your children, they are more likely to give you some space to get things done. Let your kids check in with you. You may not realize just how much you’ve been doing and you probably need a break anyway. Most household chores aren’t going to go away after you do them once and I promise, the dishes in the sink will still be there an hour from now just waiting to be washed, and they’ll be much more patient about waiting for you than your kids will.
That’s it for now. I hope you’ve enjoyed the show. Thank you for listening.
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This is your friend the Mighty Mommy wishing you happy and fun parenting!