Your parents go to great lengths to keep the house tidy and provide for you. If you want to pay them back at least a little, do your best to help them with the housework. Keep your room tidy and find ways to take care of what they usually do. Even if you're just a kid, there are plenty of things you can do to make your parents' life easier by keeping your home clean and welcoming.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Clean Your Room
Step 1. Take out the trash
In some cases, laziness can lead you to let garbage and unnecessary items accumulate in your room. Grab a bag and collect everything you can throw away.
- It can be very useful to keep a small basket in the room where you can throw the garbage. Make sure you empty it whenever it is full.
- This not only serves to make your room more tidy, it eliminates the garbage that attracts insects and other pests, as well as stinks. Throwing out the garbage will make your room smell more pleasant.
Step 2. Dust off your room
You can use an old rag or a more modern cloth and dust all surfaces of the furniture. You will likely find a lot of dust on your nightstands, wardrobes, and your desk if you have one.
Step 3. Make the bed
Leave only the sheets and blankets on the mattress. Tuck the corners under the bed with "hospital corners" for a neater look. Place the blanket over the sheets and remove the wrinkles with your hands, then fold the tops of both sides down. At that point you can put back the pillows or anything you like to keep on the bed.
- The best time to make your bed is as soon as you get up in the morning. That way you will always remember to do it right away. Plus, you'll be assured that the only time your bed isn't made is when you're sleeping.
- You should wash the sheets a couple of times a month, so be sure to completely unpack the bed when your parents ask, so it always stays clean.
Step 4. Tidy up your clothes
You must always keep your clothes tidy so that they look good when you wear them and so that you can find them easily. If you leave them all over the room, divide them into clean, wash items. This will help you figure out where to place them.
- Fold and hang clean clothes in the closet, or put them back in the drawers where they belong.
- Collect dirty clothes and take them to the room where the washing machine is located. If your parents let you, you can even do the laundry yourself. Just make sure you ask for their permission. Once you've cleaned your clothes, fold them and put them back in your room.
Step 5. Collect books and toys
If there are any items scattered around your room, pick them up and find a place to put them. If you leave things on the ground, it will become difficult to get around without stepping on something and consequently getting hurt, breaking a toy or both.
Don't just throw everything randomly in the closet. This would simply move the clutter to another part of the room. Make sure you clear a shelf or basket to put things in before you begin. If there is not enough space for all your things, you can ask for other containers to store them in or get rid of those you no longer use
Method 2 of 3: Helping Around the House
Step 1. Ask others if they need help
In some cases, those who live with you, including parents and siblings, will not ask for your help. But you can be careful and try to understand if you need a hand. For example, if your dad comes home with his groceries, ask if you can help him bring her home. If your mom is cooking instead, ask her if there is anything you can do to help her cook dinner.
Your family may tell you that they don't need your help and you don't have to take it. Most importantly, you've thought about asking and they'll appreciate it
Step 2. Set the table for meals
Make sure there are all the plates, glasses and cutlery you will need to eat. You can also inquire about the correct way to set the table or fold napkins to learn how to set the table in a more cute and creative way.
At the end of the meals, you can help out by clearing up. Put all dishes and cutlery in the sink or dishwasher
Step 3. Wash the dishes
After meals, you need to wash the dishes and put them back in their place. Nobody likes to do that, so you can really help your parents with this simple gesture, after they have worked hard to prepare the meal.
- Start by removing any leftover food so the dishes are easier to clean. Remember to use warm soapy water to clean the entire dish. Wash all dishes, cutlery, glasses, and other items used to prepare food.
- Remember to remove any leftover food from the sink drain when you're done. Throw them in the trash so they don't clog the drain.
- Empty the dishwasher. If you have this appliance at home, empty it after washing. Wait a couple of minutes for the dishes to cool, though, as they can be very hot. Avoid getting burned.
- Be careful when handling sharp objects such as knives and other cutlery. If you are not careful you risk cutting yourself, so always take everything by the handle and see where you put your hands.
Step 4. Clean the floor
Dirt, dust, crumbs and other things settle on the floor and can attract insects. Help out around the house by sweeping away the crumbs and throwing them away. This is especially important after meals, both where you ate and where you prepared the food.
If you are old enough and your parents give you permission, use a vacuum cleaner to better clean the floors
Step 5. Take out the trash
Putting the garbage in a bin outside the home allows the garbage to take it away. This is a very simple task, even for small children. If you notice that the garbage bag is almost full, especially in the kitchen or bathroom, take it outside. Just remember to replace it with a new one.
Step 6. Get the mail
Correspondence usually arrives once a day, except on Sundays. Take a walk to the mailbox to get the letters that have arrived.
Don't hide bad news or bad grades. This advice is not an opportunity to prevent your parents from seeing similar communications
Step 7. Clean when dirty
If you get dirty somewhere or if you try to cook or do a project on your own, fix it yourself. Putting everything back as it was is a great way to let your parents know that you are mature and responsible.
The house can be messy for many other reasons. Piles of books, newspapers, clothes, toys and dishes can appear at any time. You can help a lot by tidying up those things
Step 8. Ask for regular homework assignments
There is always an abundance of things to do around the house, including some you haven't thought of. Asking for a set of regular errands is a good way to make sure you help out. It will also make it easier for your parents, who won't have to remember to ask you to do something, because you already know.
- Doing regular chores is good for you too. It helps you develop a sense of responsibility and prepares you for the things you will need to do when you are older and no longer living with your parents.
- You can suggest things to your parents that you would like to do. You can choose the tasks you know you do best or the ones you want to improve on. By talking to them, you can decide on a fixed to-do list or one that involves a rotation of tasks with your siblings.
- Create a housework chart. This is a great way to remind everyone what they should do. The table should explain what your tasks are and how often you should be doing them. For example, you may need to set the table every day but only take out the trash once a week. You can even use creativity in the table, coming up with a design and fun ways to tick off activities. Just remember that everyone who will consult it must be able to understand it.
- Remember that housework is not always divided equally. If your siblings are too young to take care of certain things, you will have to be the one to do them until they are grown up. The important thing is not to complain and do what you have to do.
Method 3 of 3: Take Care of Pets
Step 1. Feed your pet
Just like you, he needs to eat regularly too, so make sure he gets his meals when it's scheduled. You need to know what kind of food he eats, how large the portion should be and what time he should eat.
- You should feed him only appropriate pet food, not leftovers or morsels.
- Don't forget to make sure your pet always has clean water available. If the bowl still has water in it but looks dirty, wash it and refill it.
- It is a good idea to talk about this with the whole family so that everyone knows who is in charge of feeding the animals and when. Don't risk giving them too much or too little to eat.
Step 2. Clean your pet's "house"
If it lives in a cage or case, be sure to clean it regularly. Replace the newspaper sheets you put on the bottom of your bird, rodent or reptile cage, change the UV bulbs for the reptiles, and change the water in the fish tanks so that your pet has a pleasant environment to live in.
If there is a "bathroom" place for your pet, inside the cage or in a litter box, be sure to clean that regularly as well
Step 3. Play with your pet
He is part of the family and you should spend time with him. This is especially important for active animals like dogs, but also for smaller ones like mice or hamsters.
- Cats also enjoy time with their family, so pet them or let them sleep next to you.
- Be sure to keep an eye on the animals, especially if they are small. Don't risk a gerbil or lizard roaming freely around the house.
- Be nice and friendly to your pets. If you are mean or aggressive, they don't like it. They will become more aggressive towards you, for example by biting you, scratching you or they will be afraid of you and will not want to play.
Step 4. Take your pet for a walk
This is another great way to spend time with him and make him tired, as well as one less chore for your parents. Make sure you use a leash or equipment to keep the pet under control so it can't escape or get into trouble.
If you have a dog or other pet that does outdoor toileting, remember to bring a bag with you so that you can collect their droppings
Step 5. Clean your pet
If it has hair or fur, it needs cleaning. Brush or comb it every day to get rid of lost hair and give it a more pleasing appearance.
- When combing their fur, be sure to look for fleas and ticks, as well as any objects that may get caught in your pet's fur. If you see a tick, you can try removing it yourself or ask your parents for help. Just make sure they know you've found the parasite, so they can call the vet if the need arises.
- You may also be able to bathe your dog or cat. In some cases it is not easy, because the animal may not like the bathroom or enjoys splashing all over the place. Make sure your parents know your intentions. Avoid overdoing it. One bath per month is enough for dogs and one every two to three months for cats.
- For rodents and reptiles, animals that live in cages, it is enough to keep their home clean. There is no need to wash them.
Advice
- Your parents can ask for your help to do something. The best way to respond is to comply with their requests without complaining or arguing.
- If you're not sure what you can do around the house, don't be afraid to ask. Your parents probably have some ideas on how you can help.
- In some cases, helping around the house means helping siblings with homework or projects. This is a nice gesture towards them and gives your parents time to do more.
- Do the housework without waiting for you to be asked to do it.
