Anyone Using FLY Lady Techniques?

Dress to shoes!! My 5 & 3 y/o boys help pick up toys and put them in the proper containers. They will pick up other things around the house and put them where they belong. I have an extra, small vacuum and a dustbuster that I give them to help. I give them specific areas. What's great about the 15 minute increments is it keeps them engaged. When the timer dings they know something else is coming. Sometimes I'll even ask them what we should do next. Give them one of those Mr. Clean Eraser sponges and tell them to clean any marks, spots etc. that they see on walls and baseboards.

Your older children should not need too much direction once they get going. Get your 5 and 2 year olds to work together. Have the 5 year old carry the laundry basket or something & have the younger one put stray items in there to be put away, perhaps by the older children.

Give the little ones dusters, they love them and things actually might get clean! Remember, you can't expect perfection, just fix it later.

Good luck!

I've never heard of the FLY lady, but my kids do jobs, and do them well when they are motivated (no tv or friends until jobs are done.) You might go nuts trying to get them to do jobs unless you realize that you are having them do it so they learn the value of work and responsibility, not so you have a clean house. (It is much easier usually to do it myself) Some of my kids jobs: (they are still pretty young)...clean the wall by the entryway, wash the front and back doors, empty the bathroom garbages and put new bags in, straighten and vacuum the livingroom, wash the kitchen table and chairs, dust the piano and computer area etc. They are usually responsible for one inside job and one outside job (in the summer) each day, and if they get that done and want to earn some money they can do extra jobs for money. Good luck! Amy J

I have used fly lady techniques. My kids unload the dish washer take out trash make their own beds and clean their rooms help fold clothes. My 9 year old does her own laundry.
Little kids can clean base boards with baby wipes that is one of the first chores they did.

Amy, I thought I was going to go crazy till I found the FLY lady! Now, every nite my 6 kids all have chores to do to help out. Everything from helping/deciding with dinner to wiping a wall so that when they go to bed the house is basically picked up and put away! I just made a weekly chart with all the jobs I wanted done and each of them take turns with each job, each nite. Even my 2 year old. They pretty much all have 3 jobs to do every night. I was like you, pretty much nuts by bedtime and not wanting to tackle everything when I woke up. I also SWEAR by her suggestion to always do the dishes before you go to bed, making sure to have an empty dishwasher so when you wake up you aren't dealing with yesterdays dirty stuff. It makes a HUGE difference in how your day goes. Your kids are well old enough to do their share of the jobs around your house, let them help! Good luck.

My daughter isn't old enough to help yet, but bathrooms were off limits for kids when I was growing up. Vaccuuming, and dusting were a big one, and dishes as well.

If you do it so can your 13, 10 and 5 year old just understand it isn't going to be perfect, the 2 year old can help by putting stuff away, I always gave my kids specific chores and they did those for week and then there was a check list they had to follow so lets say it was the bathroom here is what the list would look like...

1. pick trash up off the floor and put in trash can.
2. put all items left out in proper place ie, hairbrushes in it's basket, make-up in proper holder.
3. wipe down counters.
4. rub toilet brush around the inside of the bowl.
5. sweep the floor
6. empty trash

YOUR DONE!!!!!

I would insert them in a plastic cover and they would check them off with a white board marker. I haven't had to do it in a while cause the older of my group knows them by heart know (14-16) but am getting ready to restart them with my 6 and 3 year old but with them I add pictures. Chores are important to teach them responsibility and they live in the house and lets face it 80% of the mess comes from them so they should help. I don't pay for chores but have found a way for them to earn money, like the car needs to be cleaned or I want weeds pulled out of the garden things that need to be done but I don't always feel like it. Good luck!