I’ve always felt like one of my duties as a parent is to raise responsible and independent children. Ones who can think for themselves, help those in need, and take responsibility for their own actions.
The first way I can help them be contributing members of society is to start in the home environment. And much to my frustration in things being easier to do when I do them myself, I know it’s important to allow my children to help around the house, even when they don’t particularly want to.
A few years ago, we started “The 5-minute clean-up.” As the kids have grown, we’ve extended it to “The 10-minute clean-up” since they can handle a little more responsibility.
I set the microwave timer to 10 minutes, and we all run around picking up as many things as possible. When we first began, I let the kids do their thing as long as everything was put away. I didn’t mind if the pillows were in the wrong room or if blocks and dolls ended up in the same basket. The purpose was to help them be responsible for cleaning up their messes.
And we had our fair share of pushback. Tantrums and complaints of suddenly being “tired” were all common excuses. I explained to them it wasn’t my great idea of fun to clean up the messes from the day either, but things always seem a little easier to do when we put a time limit on it.
But now, at 10 and 5 years old, I see the light. It doesn’t take too much coaxing to initiate the 10-minute clean-up and have the kids know where things belong.
Having them put their toys away at the end of the night might not seem like much now, but I think showing them how to be responsible for taking care of their own things will translate into a lifelong skill.
Responsibility, independence, teamwork, and appreciation for others are all skills that begin in the home. And the 10-minute clean-up not only teaches and reinforces these skills but can be quite fun as well.
Watching the kids race around trying to beat the clock is hilarious. I always see their unique personalities shine through – the firstborn always has tons of energy, crashing and rolling everything away. Twin A is methodical about putting her toys in just the right place. And Twin B is in her little fantasy world, dancing and singing as she cleans.
Of course, I go around during and after making sure heavy baskets are lifted back onto shelves and books are standing upright again, but to see the pride the kids have about their home looking organized in preparation for the next day is just so cute to see.
