So many times I've gone to bed with socks, blocks, and Barbie's laying all over our great room floor. Too many mornings I've lamented at the condition of my kitchen counters, certainly not eager to make breakfast in a cluttered space.
Enter our little Tidy Up Routine.
* QUICK TIP *
Play a song, gather the kiddos, and make a game of who can tidy up the fastest!
The concept is simple: Turn on a fun, upbeat song, clean up quickly for the duration of the music, call it good.
I like things to sound snazzy, and I figure the average pop song or Disney musical number is roughly two minutes long. I needed a simple, fun way to get the kiddos on board with picking up at the end of the day without the moans and groans that typically involve me doing most of the work. :P
How To Save Your Sanity (aka. "Two Minute Tidy Up")
- Set a timer for two minutes or find an upbeat song to play.
- Tell the kids it's time for the Two Minute Tidy Up, and that they need to be super fast (get competitive, it's okay!)
- Let the kids run around picking up toys and putting them in a bin or basket to take to their room
- Parents take the time to pick up their own things, clean up kitchen counters, dining table, or whatever will make you feel most accomplished
- When the timer or song is over, stop. You're done! Don't keep going. The kids can take their things to their room to be put away, and you can wrap up anything else you want to finish after they've gone to bed.
The point of the Tidy Up is to get the family to work together, for a short amount of time, and reinforce the importance of being responsible for their own things. Sure, I still straighten and wipe up all sorts of things (eww) all day long (double eww), always reminding my kids to take care of their own dishes, put their shoes away, clean up the Play-Doh, etc. But working together at the end of the day, and having it be a few minutes of productive fun (yes, they like it!), has been incredibly rewarding!
P.S. If two minutes isn't quite enough time, go ahead and play another song! Make it a game and I guarantee that your kids will be into it! Then once everything is picked up, your kids are happily panting from cleaning while having fun, then feel free to kick your feet up and enjoy an iced beverage, you Mary Poppins, you. ;)