- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- dads today articles
- dads today q&a
- message boards
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
 |
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Dust Bunnies
Hop into Spring Cleaning with Your Child!
By Debra Weaver
It's that time of year again. Along with the spring sunshine comes the need to "freshen-up" our homes. And your preschooler can be a big help!
"Preschoolers love to help Mommy, so it's a good age to get them started with helping around the house," says Jen Singer, author of 14 Hours 'Til Bedtime: A Stay-at-Home Mom's Life in 27 Funny Little Stories (Wyatt-MacKenzie, 2004). "The earlier they start cleaning, the less likely they will treat you like a maid when they get older."
"The goal here is to keep your child busy while you get some real cleaning done," Singer says. But the lessons learned by your preschooler can be many. Not only does "helping" build self-esteem and confidence, it can be a good time to bond with your child and reap the rewards of fitness also. "My boys have actually fought over the feather duster," Singer says. "They can't do much harm with it (well, don't ask our cat his opinion on that) and they might actually dust something with it. They can pick up toys and put them away, mop the floor, and they love to sweep and use the dustpan."
"As a preschool director and teacher, I clean with preschoolers all the time," says Susie Kohl, author of five parenting books, including The Best Things Parents Do (Conari, 2004). "My book contains suggestions about cleaning together and working chores out harmoniously. Making being helpful as a part of a child's routine literally establishes the child's self-view as a helpful person."
Kohl provides these ideas:
1. Use squirt bottles filled with diluted dish soap. Let the child "clean" his toys and play table.
2. Make a game of taking books off the shelf and sorting. Suggest she donate books she has outgrown to needy children. Work together to put the remaining books in order from small to large, another learning concept.
