Is your house a mess? Do you want it clean, but don't have the time to pick up or the money to pay someone to do it? Then I have the perfect solution for you!
First, find two small children (preferably your own) who's sole goal in life is to "be more special" than the other.
Second, tell one of them that they get the "special honor" of emptying the dishwasher. This is sure to get the other one to ask for her "special honor."
Third, hand the second child a basket of laundry and "guide" her through folding as you sit on the sofa and drink a cup of coffee.
Fourth, give the first child another opportunity to one up the second child. Perhaps, vacuuming?
Repeat this scenario until your entire house is clean. Oh, and don't forget to thank your little helpers. (Thanks Dizzle and Doodle! The house looks fabulous!)
Finally, relish in the fact that you have a clean house, you didn't have to do a thing and no one asked for an "allowance." Because, let's be honest. After you've used this method once, it's probably never going to work again ...
7 comments:
You are a sly and savvy woman! I will give this a try. I usually (stupidly) just threaten to throw any toys left on the floor away...works like a charm. Not.
Ha ha ha, I'll have to try that out sometime.
Aha ! Laundry. Brilliant. I will go apply this lesson RIGHT NOW. My son, G (age 7) is only allowed to vacuum on days when he's been really REALLY good. Fortunately, it seems like he's a pretty good kid. I say, start 'em young and the possibilities are endless.
ANOTHER great chore is to give them lysol wipes and tell them to go on a germ hunt and wipe all the doors, door knobs, railings, etc and see who can use "up their wipe the most". See- a reason right there to have more than one child!
Teamarcia - my kids don't have to clean up the play room... they just have to "pick up 10 things". And then they have to pick up 10 more things before dinner. And after dinner they usually.... pick up... 10 MORE things... times 3 kids. If everyone does what they're supposed to do, the room is clean.
Hahaha! My husband and I sometimes talk about this as our dream scenario, but we remember how reluctant we often were to do chores. (We don't have kids yet.) Maybe my husband and I can use this strategy on each other.
Just the title of this post made me click on it immediately! This is classic, I love it! How old are they before they figure this out. Mine still fall for it!
I may have to try this with my older daughter, my younger one isn't much help yet.
You know, maybe this whole "kids growing older....I no longer have a 'baby' anymore" thing isn't so bad! Too bad my 2 year old would just make things worse!
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