HOW WE MAKE CLEANING LESS OF A CHORE | A COLLABORATION WITH EBAY

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I thrive in a super organized, clean space. Whenever things start getting messy or cluttered, I can always feel myself getting anxious and I know it affects my mood and productivity. On top of wanting everything kept really clean, I’m also one of those (annoying) people that likes everything done “a certain way.” Poor Kent has tried to help me with chores ever since we’ve been married and I’m constantly going behind him refolding the towels and remaking our bed. I’m realizing just how annoying and petty that is now that I’m typing it out haha…

Because of all that, I’ve really struggled with introducing our kids to chores. They’ve helped me here and there with stuff whenever I’ve asked…but when it comes to actually cleaning or putting things away, I always just found it easier to do it myself rather than take the time to teach them. Last year, I knew I needed to start relinquishing some of my control and teaching them responsibility, so I gave myself a deadline. I decided that when we moved to Nashville (in  October), they were getting some official “chores”. Kent would be leaving us for 8-12 months (FYI: My husband Kent is in the Army for all my new followers) and I knew I’d need all the help I could get and they needed the experience.

I thought I’d share with you some of the responsibilities that they now have, along with some tips I’ve found that make cleaning up a little less of a chore.

Roman – 6 Years Old

Clear place after meals

Put folded laundry in proper drawers

Pick up toys/books

Carry and put away groceries

Vacuum once a day

Bring trash/stuff in from car at the end of the day

Rocky – 3 Years Old

Clear place after meals

Put folded laundry in proper drawers

Pick up toys/books

Vacuum once a day

Empty all small trash cans into big trash can

There was definitely a little learning period in the beginning, but I’m happy to say that we’ve all made great strides since last Fall. They have become HUGE helpers to me, and I’ve learned that it really doesn’t matter if all the books aren’t color coded and facing the same direction, as long as they’re picked up and on the shelf. A few things that have really helped us are:

 

1. Timer

I don’t know what it is about kids and timers but they WORK! One of my children has zero sense of urgency or motivation. I mean ZERO. He will wander around his room for 20 minutes and accomplish nothing but talking to himself and maybe putting one Lego away. As soon as I set that timer though and tell him he has “3 minutes” he springs into action! I always make sure he has a reasonable amount of time too so he can be successful and feel proud!

2. Music

This is a new one that I’ve just discovered last Spring and I’m so happy I did! I used to find myself getting so frustrated when I’d look around and see a mess in our house. It turned me into such a GRUMP and I always took it out on the kids or whoever was around. One such situation was happening a few months ago and right as I could feel myself getting so annoyed, some commercial came on blaring one of the kids’ favorite songs. They got so excited and started dancing and singing (while picking up) and immediately I just felt my mood shift. Ever since then, when I look around at our mess and want to cry, I stop, grab my phone, and turn on whatever jam first comes to mind. The boys love music and dancing so usually they’ll come find me and I greet them with, “IT’SSSSSSSS CLEAN UP TIME PEOPLE!”. We then proceed to pick up and do our chores, but with singing and dancing, instead of complaining and crying. So much better.

 

3. Dyson V8 Cordless Vacuum

 

The biggest thing the kids do to help me is vacuuming every day. I know that every day might seem like a lot, but my boys are messy and we really do need everything vacuumed at least once a day (especially in the Kitchen/eating areas). Roman does the whole apartment every morning after breakfast. Luckily our apartment is pretty small, so it doesn’t take him too long. Then Rocky does a “spot check” in the evenings after Supper. We’ve had the Dyson Big Ball Multi Floor Vacuum for years and absolutely love it! We used it daily in our old house in Indiana and it has held up great on all floor types with 2 kids and one long haired Pomeranian who sheds like nobody’s business. While Kent and I think it’s lightweight and maneuvers great, I noticed Roman was really struggling with the cord and Rocky really wasn’t able to use it at all since it’s was so much bigger than him. I knew I wanted to get another smaller Dyson for them, so I did some research and decided on the Dyson V8 Absolute Cordless Vacuum. It’s amazing! It’s lighter and has no cord so it’s so much easier for both boys to use! It easily converts to a handheld vacuum which is the perfect size for Rocky. They use it on the baseboards, in the car, and between all the couch and chair cushions. It’s activated by pulling a trigger so for them it’s basically a toy/game and they love using it! It has turned their least favorite chore into something they actually look forward to!

Right now, you can get up to 50% off Dyson Vacuums at eBay.com! It’s such a good deal if you need to invest in a Dyson, or want to try out one of their other models like us! I knew you could find deals on eBay for refurbished items, but I had no idea that 81% of all merchandize sold there is brand new! Most eBay shoppers (88%) check out with the “Buy It Now” option, but if you’re competitive and prefer the ‘ol bidding war method (*ahem* me) you can still do that too!

On a side note, I just saw that eBay has the newest version of my camera, the Nikon D850, on sale right now too! This is the camera that I use for all my professional photography and our personal blog pics and I absolutely love it! Don’t forget to add “Capture some Pictures of your Loves” to your own to-do list today!

Well Moms, I hope that helps! I’m taking a poll on my Instastory today to see how many of our kids do chores on a regular basis so go vote! A huge thank you to eBay.com for sponsoring today’s post. All thoughts and opinions shared here were completely my own.

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2 comments so far.

2 responses to “HOW WE MAKE CLEANING LESS OF A CHORE | A COLLABORATION WITH EBAY”

  1. Preena says:

    Omgosh Sarah, so darn Cute!!! 💗
    This Post warms my heart, your family is precious.
    xoxo

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