You've seen the scenario played out in vintage sitcoms. An entire family on a Saturday morning is cleaning. Before you chalk it up to the wonderful fantasy of television, check out these tips for a successful family cleanup day.
Make sure the assigned day has no prior engagements during the time period allotted for work. Check and recheck schedules and plan ahead. Don't accept excuses. Let everyone know that this is a family event and they are all strongly invited to be there.
Invite everyone to bring his or her favorite CD or cassette tape. Take turns playing each of the CD’s or cassettes. To be fair pull names out of a hat to determine order. Have a small certificate or prize for both the best and worst “Cleanup” music.
Gather supplies before the day arrives. Trying to run to the store for things that come up can ruin momentum. Careful planning will allow you to have everything you need on location when the day arrives.
Have some good snacks and drinks on hand for break times. Choose your families' favorites. Having predetermined breaks can keep the family motivated to keep working.
Hide small tokens around the areas being organized or cleaned. The people who have the most tokens at each break time get an extra 5 minutes at break (Or think of your own reward). Warning use the honor code to make sure your family is actually cleaning and organizing and not just searching for tokens. (Yes, I know we should trust them, but after all we know them.)
Make chores age appropriate. Do not expect children who are too young to participate in heavy cleaning and organizing. Have work that they can do available or create alternate activities that still help. Sorting safe items can be good for preschool and school age children. If some of your children are too young to participate consider having a trusted relative or friend take care of them during the cleanup.
Make the cleanup into a contest. Divide up the family into equal teams. Divide up the tasks that need to be done into equal jobs. Give each team the same general amount of work. The team that accomplishes the most by the end time gets an extra treat.
Turn off the ringers to your phones, and let extended family and friends know that you’ll be unreachable that day. A distraction can cause the whole job to fall apart.
Take pictures of the event. Someday your kids will want to prove to your grandchildren that you worked them like slaves. Let them have their fun. (Just like your parents walked shoeless in the snow uphill both ways just to buy bread.)
Plan a reward for when the job is finished. Take the family out to a movie and/or dinner. Or if you are all too tired from your hard work, order a pizza and rent a movie. You’ll all be able to lounge on the couch basking in the knowledge of a job well done.
