Motivate Your Kids with the "Spring Cleaning" Fundraiser

It’s that time of year again -- the time for spring cleaning! While having a clean house is a refreshing feeling, parents are usually the ones who end up getting stuck with most of the work. What if you could motivate your child or children help you?

To motivate your children to help with tidying up the house, implement a “Spring Cleaning Fundraiser” at your child’s school. This will require a group of parents who want to give back to their school community, teach their children the value of helping around the house, and lessen their own cleaning responsibilities.

Every classroom teacher sends a letter home with their students. This letter will introduce the fundraiser to the parents: parents pay their kids to do household chores, but the money goes directly to a classroom (or entire school) purchase. Students could raise money for a new playground equipment, new musical instruments, or a new classroom pet!

When the kids hand their parents the letter, they’ll think they’re informing their parents for the first time. The catch is that your school’s PTO or PTA can agree upon a dollar-per-chore amount beforehand and inform all parents. For example, kids will earn $1.00 for their school each time they help clean the dishes after dinner.

Cleaning ideas include:

· Dusting
· Sweeping
· Making beds
· Watering the plants
· Doing dishes
· Etc.

You, as a parent, can explain to your child the importance of teamwork and responsibility. Cleaning as a whole family will make it more fun for your child. You could even set a timer for a chore that’s more work; and if they do it in a certain amount of time, you will give them more money.

This fundraiser can last for a week, a month, or a semester -- it depends on how high of a goal your school wants to set.

Although the money isn’t specifically for them, keep reminding your children that they are putting the money they earn to a good cause. At the end of the fundraiser, the teachers will give each student who participated a certificate of excellence or hard work.

Happy cleaning!