Motivating everybody (and myself!)

amother

Ginger

Wed, Feb 26 2020, 11:04 pm

Pesach cleaning in most of the house is no different than ordinary cleaning. You are trying to clean it up enough so any chometz could be found.

If the kids are still all over the house and everywhere, don't bother starting yet. Make your menu or plan your schedule, but cleaning is a waste of time.

However, if you can find an area that you can close off until Pesach, or start choosing which areas you will close off FOR Pesach, you are in business! If the former, you can clean them and close them up now, which is an incredible feeling of satisfaction; and if the latter you can start plotting what items you will move there.

Most of the "cleaning" you will be doing involves nothing more frightening than a broom. No bleach, lysol, or even windex required. Just straighten things up enough to ensure there are no significant chunks of hidden chometz.

Example: To clean a drawer for Pesach, remove contents to your bed and do a cursory check for bags of Bissli, pretzels, or black and white cookies. If you find the above, eat them as payment for your hard work (or use them to bribe a child to do an unpleasant task). If you suspect nefarious business, shake out the clothing before returning it to the drawer, otherwise just toss it all back in. Time elapsed: Under 3 minutes. Drawer: Done!

The best type of cleaning is, as mentioned above, moving items to the "we are selling this closet for Pesach" closet. Bins of toys, boxes you don't want to sort through, etc. are all good fodder.

Cleaning the dining room and kitchen are a bigger deal. There, you actually are concerned about small pieces of chometz that might make their way into your food - and chometz is not botul. That's where the windex comes in. But obviously that is useless until you are ready to do the big switch to kitnios and stop serving chometz there, which is often not until a week before Pesach.

The super-organized will tell you to clean your cabinets well now and line them with clear plastic, which you can just pull off closer to Pesach and have clean cabinets. I will tell you that I stopped cleaning cabinets a long time ago, and use Sterilite drawers and utility cabinets or shelves for the week of Pesach. (If you always keep your dining room table covered, that method might be more practical, though.)

They will argue that cleaning the oven now is worthwhile, because how much additional mess can you make for the next few weeks? I will tell you that I can make A LOT of mess, and also that there are places that will rent you a brand new stove for two weeks. (I personally bought one for Pesach, because I am lazy like that.)

In short, what will get you kickin' is the actual time limit. Which doesn't happen until after Purim at the earliest.

Good luck!

amother

Mistyrose

Thu, Feb 27 2020, 12:36 am

1. Get a visual (think whiteboard) for kids to see what needs to be done.

2. Divide chores. 4 year old uses baby wipes. 6 year old holds garbage bag. 8 year old helps empty drawer 10 year old puts all back in drawer. Write this on the visual. So you list the breakdown on jobs with kids name next to each. Ps if u use a small whiteboard a job for a 5 year old would be to hold board and tick off as things get done.

3. Play music for an atmosphere

4. Smiley face stickers as rewards on hand.

5. When all done the chore something fun ex a pesach video clip to watch or a snack etc.

Ps you do need massive lists of what cleaning you expect to accomplish when.
Above is for actual cleaning of say a closet.
When doing bedrooms use labels let oldest write on each label job title ex "vacume man" and 6 year old wears this while vacuming. Other jobs include "wet wipe monitor" "paper towel dryer" etc

Kids will get excited and at least feel involved if that's your goal.
For big jobs think cleaner or when kids are out the house!!

amother

Natural

Thu, Feb 27 2020, 10:14 am

When my kids were little they thought pesach cleaning was fun.
Now that they're older and they hate it, I motivate them by offering something special for their room when they're done: a new rug or comfy chair or shabbos lamp. They're once again excited, not to clean, but to get the jobs done.
And there's nothing like going to sleep that first night in a sparkling clean pesachdik room.
I also buy a new building toy set or something that is only allowed in the pesachdik rooms and they enjoy that a lot.

amother

Beige

Thu, Feb 27 2020, 1:22 pm

Be realistic!
The best help can give you at that age is to stay out of the way when you're cleaning and not mess up the areas that were clean!
If your 10 yr old is a girl (or a very capable boy!) ask her to make a "daycamp" for the little ones!
Usually Purim is my deadline to finish the "upstairs"! But that will depend on how your house is set up.
If kitchen cabinets needs a lot of scrubbing that can also be done earlier!
Reward yourself when you're done a room!!
You might be more efficient if you only do pesach cleaning at night when kids are in bed! Older ones might be more in the mood to help if they're "staying up" for it!!