Cleaning Motivation

I have been really struggling with getting Aspen to help clean up in the evenings. She made it SO slow and painful it was hard to not just get mad and then do it myself after she went to bed. So.....today I decided to try a new (for me) method using a timer/race.

I set a timer for 10 minutes and told her we wanted to see how much of the playroom/family room she could get pick up before it went off. She got really excited but just 1 min or so into it and she lost her excitement. Then she came up to me and said "Mom I can only clean fast when you cheer for me like a cheerleader!" Next she decided that she need to be doing a sport, no not make cleaning a sport, she needed to be pretending to be playing a 'real' sport. She choose.........The Superbowl! So for the next 8-9 min I cheered her on to "Go Aspen Go, Beat that Timer, Win the Superbowl!" And guess what, when that timer when off after 10 min the room was pick up!

Now she is resting to get ready for the Basketball Championship (once again SHE chose the sport) which will be her bedroom. I hope we can keep the motivation up and I'll be resurrecting the use of my timer for myself as much as for Aspen. I forget how much it helps to have a reasonable time limit till you get to do something else! Here's to hoping and Hard work!