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Tips for Incorporating Kids in Spring Cleaning

Kids LOVE helping adults with tasks. And they can really learn a lot during activities such as spring cleaning. But engaging kids in these, sometimes stressful, tasks can take some ingenuity.

KITS has tips for that!

Pick your battles and play the long game. Teaching your children to help you clean may take some practice. Some tasks might be messier in the beginning. With patience and encouragement for what does go well, it will be more likely that your child will learn valuable skills and be more helpful to you in the long run.

Let kids know ahead of time when the cleaning effort is going to happen. If you suddenly ask them to drop what they’re doing and help you clean, they’re going to be focused on what you’re taking them away from. When kids know what to expect ahead of time, it helps them prepare and transition into the activity more easily. You are also their model for behavior and attitude, they will follow your lead so if you are dreading cleaning and talk about how much you haaaaaate it, they will approach it this way too.

Focus on praising kids for their hard work and effort. This increases the feeling that they are being helpful and contributing, which also increases their motivation to keep going, and even be ready to do this again.

Make tasks more manageable (and more rewarding) by breaking them into pieces. Start small and section a larger task. Instead of telling your child to “clean your room”, ask them to “start with putting everything that’s laying on the floor on the bed, then put those things away”. Or focus on one type of thing at a time: starting with toys, then books, then clothes, etc. Or instead of the entire task of, “wash the car”, break the car down visually and wash the naturally segmented panels one at a time, then the trunk, then the hood, etc.

BONUS: To help you remember these tips, we have created this handy infographic that you can print and post on your refrigerator for any time you’d like to get some cleaning done and add in some school readiness!

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Text: © Kids In Transition to School 2019

Image: © Chih Yuan Wu | Dreamstime.com

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Livia Carpenter

Livia Carpenter is the Clinical Supervisor for KITS. She has been with the organization since 2008. Livia has a passion for working with kids from high risk backgrounds, which began when working with foster children prior to coming to OSLC. When she is not inspiring those she works with, she reads, tries new recipes, makes art, and really enjoys a good, whole-hearted belly laugh.
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TFC CONSULTANTS, OSLC, ODI

Confidentiality Agreement

This year, we return to in-person training. We will be in spaces where multiple programs, in addition to KITS, operate. We are asking all attendees to agree with the Confidentiality Agreement below to ensure that confidentiality is maintained.

As an employee, volunteer, visitor, or associate of TFC Consultants, Inc., Oregon Social Learning Center and OSLC Developments, Inc., I agree to the following:

  1. To refrain from discussing material relating to individual persons and/or families with, or in the presence of, persons other than those who have signed this confidentiality agreement.
  2. To refrain from disclosing the participation of individual persons and/or families in research, prevention, demonstration, evaluation, dissemination, and/or treatment projects at TFCC, OSLC and ODI to persons other than those who have signed this confidentiality agreement.
  3. To maintain confidentiality as outlined above, both during and after my association with TFC Consultants, Inc., Oregon Social Learning Center and OSLC Developments, Inc.
  4. To see that all files containing material relating to individual persons and/or families are locked, whether or not this material contains identifying information, and that information is released only to authorized persons.
  5. To immediately report any breach in confidentiality to my supervisor and/or the management of TFCC, OSLC and ODI.

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KITS uses ongoing coaching to support educators in the implementation of the model. We do this through viewing groups on video, weekly team meetings, and fidelity monitoring. Your team will record KITS School Readiness and Parent Groups and upload each session to a secure online platform (such as Box.com). The videos are only used as a means to support KITS staff. We promise it’s not scary!

Your KITS team will meet every week to talk about what is working well and areas where you may be experiencing challenges. During these meetings, teams and coaches will work together to problem-solve challenges, offer support and encouragement, and celebrate successes!

If parents or students do not wish to be recorded, they can be seated out of view or for online parent groups they may turn off their cameras.

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This means there are some limits to how you can use KITS:

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