Having children is amazing and the vast majority of parents wouldn’t change it for the world. However, this isn’t to say that it can’t be difficult. Kids are a constant source of energy which means it can be hard to keep your house as you’d like it when they are playing and generally causing mischief.
So what kind of things can you do to make sure that running a house and being a parent doesn’t get on top of you?
Create a specific ‘play’ area
Making a set room in the house which is just for the kids games and play time is the easiest way to keep your sanity when it comes to cleaning. Rather than letting your children play in each room – leaving you with massess of tidying up and cleaning to do every day – give them a play room to make their mess in. This means you only need to do one room every day, while the rest of the house can be gone over a couple of times a week.
In fact, giving children their own room can also increase their sense of ownership, which means that eventually they will learn to look after their space better, which may eventually lead to them tidying it up themselves after their play session.
Make sure you have a good vacuum
When it comes to vacuum cleaners you can’t mess around. Although buying something at the higher end of the scale is likely to cost you a bit more money, they are well worth the investment due to their unrivalled suction power and ability to clean with speed and ease.
Dyson vacuum cleaners are often considered the best manufacturer and it’s very hard to argue with this point. If you have kids, it’s best to spend a bit more on something tried and tested that is going to last, rather than buying multiple vacuum cleaners over the course of the years which will invetably cost you more in the long run and make your life more difficult.
Don’t let them rule you
It’s very easy to end up catering for every need and whim of your child when they throw the slightest tantrum. However, you need to establish boundaries and mark your authority to make them know what is acceptable and what isn’t.
Don’t fall for the cute looks or the pleading. It’s fair to reward children for good behaviour every so often, as long as they do not end up becoming spoilt because of it. The most effective parent-child relationships are the ones where the adult is the authority in the kid’s life, and these boundaries will earn you more respect as the child comes up to it’s teenage years.
About the author
Jill Goodman is a mother of four beautiful children. She likes to write and blog about her experiences of parenthood. She swears by her dyson vacuum cleaner for keeping the house clean – though has found the other techniques mentioned above have also worked to prevent the need to clean every single day.
