Do I need to teach my kids the life skill of cleaning?
I'd love to say that all three of my children are experts at cleaning. That I can send them to clean the bathroom and it'll be sparkling when they're done. That I can arm them with a feather duster and they can expertly remove all traces of dust from a shelf full of knick-knacks. That they can wash a load of laundry on their own, from sorting to folding, without ruining a single piece of clothing.
We'd all love our kids to learn how to clean properly. After all, knowing how to clean is definitely a life skill! But from my own experience, I know it can be challenging — and extremely frustrating — to teach them the how part.
My friend Dana (and I can call her that because I've actually met her in real life) from A Slob Comes Clean has written an excellent ebook that is basically a Home Ec 101 curriculum for kids — but without the cooking & sewing parts.
In her ebook, Teaching Kids to Clean, Dana has included step-by-step lesson plans, supply lists, age-appropriate task lists, tips on how to make cleaning fun, cleaning checklists, and more. She's even included graphics that non-readers can follow to help them clean the right way. Your kids will learn how to do laundry (without turning socks pink), how to clean the bathroom, and how to dust, vacuum, and mop.
Here's how to get the ebook, Teaching Kids to Clean.
Like A Slob Comes Clean on Facebook.
To get the ebook for free, just LIKE Dana's Facebook page, A Slob Comes Clean. Then once you've LIKE'd the page, click on the photo below the LIKE button on Facebook that says "Free E-Book" (NOTE: the free ebook link won't work on smartphones). That will take you to the page with the download link.
Pin the Ebook Post to Pinterest (& send Dana a quick email)
If you're not on Facebook, you can also get the ebook for free by pinning her post to Pinterest and then sending her an email with the link to the pin. She'll then send you the ebook via email.
Pay with Cash Money
Obviously this isn't the free option, but if you want to get the ebook without using Facebook or Pinterest, you can purchase it for just $3.
Teaching kids to clean is a good curriculum to include in your homeschool at any time.
Thanks for posting, Joy! My FRIEND Joy!
Thanks for posting and for the freebie.
Joy, if you could only buy one of these two books, which one would you get? "The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling Teens" by Debra Bell or "Homeschooling the Teen Years" by Cafi Cohen? I saw them on your booklist, so I would appreciate your input. Also, have you read "Life Skills for Kids"?
Thanks, again! Karen
It would definitely be Debra Bell's book! For younger, elementary-aged kids, my book of choice would be Dr. Ruth Beechick's "You CAN Teach Your Child Successfully". 🙂
Thanks to you both for the freebie – have been working with my kids on chores, and I definitely needed help trying to explain some of these chores!