So during this pandemic I’m really starting to practice the art of “letting go”. This is a hard one for me because I always like to be in control.
After the first few weeks of being home with the kids 24/7, I realized a lot of my stress was coming from the overwhelm that came from the constant mess and the power struggles that followed after I attempted to get them to clean up after themselves every 10 minutes.
What I’ve concluded from that experience is that kids live in a world of play. That play should be as imaginative as possible and have no boundaries. They should be using play to explore the world, learn cause and effect, nurture their planning skills, strengthen their problem solving skills and build their language narrative. Who am I to interrupt that? This is exactly what they do at school in the early years.
If my kids are keeping busy, they’re happy and well behaved then why intervene??
With two working parents at home, it’s nearly impossible to keep a lot of structure during the day and consistent schedule everyday like they have at school so… in an effort to keep them learning through play and to keep my stress levels down, I’ve done 2 things that have made all the difference.
I’ve “let go” of this notion that they have to tidy as they go. I’ve accepted that this is just how it’s going to be to keep the power struggles from happening. This doesn’t mean it’s a free for all in my house- they still have to do their daily chores and responsibilities but when it comes to play (almost) anything goes.
I’ve implemented a new family rule called “clean up hour”- every day at 4:00pm we stop everything we’re doing and tidy! It doesn’t actually take an hour (maybe 15 minutes at the most- the name just sounded good so I went with it). We go through every room in the house that was played in and we put things away exactly where they belong (having a defined place for everything makes this process a lot easier). During this time we will vacuum, fold clothes and put away in drawers, wipe down surfaces if needed, put toys away, etc. This has ONLY been effective because I do it with them. I’ve also been very up front with them by setting the expectation that if they don’t put things away and take responsibility then I will throw things out.
The combination of these two strategies has been unreal. It’s the one thing every day that happens at the same time in my house. By the time we are done our tidy up time, I honestly feel like a new person. It’s been a great way to break up the day. My kids have been incredibly responsive as I’ve tried my best to position this in a very empowering way.
Once the house is tidy we stick to more structured activities that require little mess. TV time included!
New week, new strategy!
Give it a try. You’ve got this!
Cori
P.s. We are just under 2 weeks away from the 2nd annual Kindergarten Prep event. Learn exactly how you can use this time at home with your kiddo to prep them for this big transition. It’s time to sign up!
