Family Chores Turned Into Play Time

Let's face it, chores are not popular with kids. Why would they want to spend an hour cleaning the bathroom when they could be playing? But, busy family schedules make it imperative that everyone in the family pitch in with the weekly chores. Unless you're lucky to have a cleaning service, chores don't magically disappear. Turning family chores into play time can make the weekend to-do list less painful.

Here's how our family makes chore time a little more like play time.

bObsweep Pet Hair Plus
Many kids love playing video games. Their hands are adept in maneuvering the controller. Why not put those skills into good use with bObsweep Pet Hair Plus. While the bObsweep Pet Hair Plus can run via an automatic program, the kids can involved with the vacuuming and floor cleaning too. With the remote control, the kids can get bObsweep to vacuum their rooms, clean the kitchen floor and pick up messes.

bObsweep makes quick work of any type of mess. From the dog hair in the carpet to the breakfast spill under the kitchen table, the kids can control bObsweep to clean it all up. My kids think that vacuuming is not like controlling their own robot. They now jump at the chance to vacuum and clean the floor\s (thank goodness since it's my second least favorite cleaning chore - behind bathrooms).

bObsweep is available at www.bobsweep.com or other retailers. Various models are available.

Reward system
Turn simple, daily tasks into a reward system. In our house, we have turned a month calendar into a reward calendar. After a month of all completed chores, each kids gets his special reward. The key is that I can't remind them to do the task.

For example, each of my kids must clean off the table after each meal, put dishes in the dishwasher and wash out the sink. If all of these items are completed all day, every day, the kids get a star. I can't remind them to perform these tasks. If I find that one of the task isn't completed, no one gets a star.

The idea is to create a sense of daily responsibility. If everyone does their part, the weekend chores seem less cumbersome. More importantly, I'm not constantly cleaning up after everyone (which leads to a crabby mom). I would suggest starting small and building on it. My one son completed a month and he got his surf lesson - he's on board.

These two items work for our family. We keep adjusting the system as our schedules, activities and busy lives change. Overall the idea is to show that everyone has a responsibility in the house. Whether you can hook the kids with remote controlled vacuum like bObsweep or a reward system, building a sense of chore responsibility can help everyone in the family.