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{This is a collaborative post}
Having kids at home during the school holidays is great, but it often means any household mess multiplies exponentially. This is just a fact of life, although for those of us who like tidy homes, it can mean more unnecessary stress.
So, how do you keep your home clean during the school
holidays? Below are some tips that should help make things a bit more
manageable.
How to Keep Your Home Clean During School Holidays
1. Designate Play and Activity Areas
If you have young children who like making messes, set up designated areas in which it’s safe for them to do so. This could be the dining room table, the living room, or somewhere else.
The key here is to contain mess so it’s easier to clean up.
Don’t be afraid to let your kids have a good time, but just aim to keep
everything in its designated place. Then when you need to tidy up, it should be
a bit easier.
2. Assign Cleaning Jobs
Get kids involved in the cleaning process as much as possible. Younger kids can put away their toys, while older children can help with sorting out bins, the dishwasher, and so on. If they receive pocket money, include cleaning in their list of jobs over the holidays.
If you struggle with motivating them, have a designated
cleaning hour. Put on some music and make it an enjoyable activity that you can
do together. You could even turn it into a race to see who gets done the
fastest.
3. Tidy as You Go
Make sure everyone tidies as they go to cut down on larger cleaning jobs. For example, get kids to bring washing up down with them, or make sure they bring their rubbish to the bin if they’re passing it.
Similarly, implement a “touch once” rule. This is pretty
self-explanatory: if you start a job, finish it so it doesn’t need to be
touched again. If you’ve folded some clean washing, organise it into piles and
take them to their respective rooms.
4. Write Up a Schedule
You may have a weekly cleaning schedule already. Consider making a new one for the school holidays that includes jobs for kids and any extra mess that might be made. Writing a list and schedule can help you figure out what you can delegate and how often people need to contribute.
This will also help you to juggle your free time, which you
can spend with the kids. After all, the school holidays are a good excuse to
spend time together, so don’t fill too much of them up with cleaning jobs.
5. Figure Out How to Occupy the Kids
There’s no shame in this one. If you know you need to hoover or do some other job that requires a bit of concentration, figure out how to occupy the kids. Having them out of your hair while you whizz the hoover around can make a big difference.
When the weather is nice, get them to spend some time in the
garden. Develop a treasure hunt or something that they need to concentrate on.
Of course, if the weather is rubbish or you’re after a quick fix, stick them in
front of the TV or give them a game to play.
6. Declutter
Having the kids around can be a good time to declutter things, including clothes and toys. While they might be a bit resistant at first, you can often get them on board using rewards or the knowledge that their stuff will go to someone less fortunate.
Decluttering doesn’t necessarily present an immediate
reward. But getting rid of stuff means you’ll have more space, in turn meaning
it’s easier to keep everything else tidy. So tackle this job at the beginning
of the holidays and you should find things more manageable.
7. Don’t Be Afraid to Lower Your Standards
During the school holidays, don’t worry if your home isn’tshowroom-perfect. The kids are at home, and that’s surely more important than
everything being spotless! What’s more, your friends will be in the same
position, so they’re unlikely to be critical if they come over and your home is
a bit messy!
Final Thoughts
Keeping your home clean during the school holidays basically boils down to getting the kids involved and letting your standards slip a bit. Enjoy your time rather than stressing about your home being clean and you should find it easy to survive the next school holiday! If you are in the process of moving and don’t have the capacity to clean your home, you can consider hiring a service for your end of tenancy cleaning.