Family Organize-athon — A Family that Cleans Together, Stays Together

Parents are already tired enough from their job, which means that it’s not fair for them to be expected to do all of the cleaning at home.

Instead of fretting about the chaos and messiness of your home after no one has done their chores in a while, maybe now it’s time for a different approach.

Why not hold a family “organize-athon”? After all, the family that makes a point of cleaning together, stays together. You can spend time with your family while doing something productive and fun. 😉

Here are tips on how you can encourage your whole family to get involved in this crucial task.

1. Set a Good Example

You want your kids to grow up to become responsible adults, and this training starts at home when they are young. So be clear about what you need to do as a family. When the parents demonstrate their commitment to weekly decluttering tasks, the kids will take this job more seriously.

2. Make a Schedule and Stick to It

Probably a weekend day will be the most easy to schedule for cleaning and organizing. But perhaps the middle of the week is best because of various commitments, from sports to other extracurricular activities. Once you come up with a schedule, keep at it, to reinforce the importance of staying clean and organized as a family.

3. Make it Fun

Who says it has to be boring, keeping your abode organized and clean? Use the organize-athon to have your family listen to your favorite songs together. Singing in unison will unite you in your cleaning labors and maybe, do some dancing too!

4. Give Rewards

Make a chart where you fill in with stickers of something colorful and fun, like stars or cartoon figures. When your kids maintain a pattern of staying organized every week, give them a special reward, such as a toy, or an extra hour of games or TV watching.

5. Take Breaks

Don’t expect your family to work non-stop when it comes to cleaning up and getting more organized. It’s best to build some break time into your schedule. For example, say you clean up from 3p-5p on a Saturday. 

For a break, you all can go for a walk, pick up a snack, or maybe play one of the lost board games that you uncovered while cleaning up the abode. Parents will want to instill in their children the notion that cleaning and organizing are basic activities to do without getting grumpy. Break time will reinforce that this is a planned activity that must be done on a regular basis.

6. Here’s to a Home With Less Clutter and Much More Fun

The best part about holding regular organize-athons is that your family will be working together as a team, and will be rewarded by a nice, calming, peaceful place to live. And once they get used to keeping the place nice and organized with just a little bit of extra effort, you can count on them being motivated, going forward, to stay organized.

Your kids will soon see that it’s more pleasant to live in a home that’s clean and organized. They can find their toys and other items more easily, and they won’t feel bad about getting nagged by their parents, since the whole family will be participating.