It can be very helpful to have a little garbage can in your room for you to throw things away into. Make sure you clean it out when it gets full. Not only will this make your room less cluttered, but garbage also attracts bugs and other pests. Plus it smells. Getting rid of it will make your room smell better.
A good time to make your bed is first thing in the morning. That way you will remember to do it right away. Also, it will make sure that the only time your bed isn’t made is when you are sleeping in it. [3] X Research source Your bedsheets should be washed every couple of weeks, so make sure to strip your bed when your parents ask to make sure they stay clean.
If your clothes are clean, fold them and hang them up in the closet or put them back in the dresser where they belong. If your clothes are dirty, gather them up, and take them to the laundry room. If your parents let you, you can even do the laundry, and clean your clothes yourself. Just make sure to check with them first. Once they are clean, fold them and put them away properly in your room.
Don’t just throw things into a pile in your closet. That only moves the mess to another part of your room. Make sure you have a shelf or chest to put things in before starting. If you don’t have enough room for all of your stuff, you may want to ask for something else to store them in, or consider getting rid of stuff you don’t use or play with anymore.
Your family may tell you they don’t need your help, and that’s okay. The important thing is that you thought to ask, which they will appreciate.
After meals are over, you can also be helpful by clearing the table. Get all the dishes and silverware into the sink or dishwasher for cleaning.
Start by scraping off all food scraps, which will make the dishes easier to clean. Remember to use warm water and soap to clean off the whole dish. Clean all the dishes, silverware, cups, anything that you used to eat or make food with. Remember to clean food scraps out of the sink drain when you are finished. Throw them away so they don’t clog the drain. Empty the dishwasher. If your house has a dishwasher, unload it after it finishes. Just give it a few minutes to cool down first, as dishes can be hot. You don’t want to accidentally burn yourself. Be careful when handling sharp objects like knives and other utensils. If you aren’t careful, you can cut yourself, so always pick things up by the handle, and watch where you are reaching. [5] X Research source
If you are older, and your parents let you, use a vacuum to help give the floors a better clean.
Don’t hide bad news or bad grades. This is not a chance for you to keep your parents from seeing stuff like that.
There are plenty of other types of messes that can appear around the house. Piles of books, papers, clothes, toys, and dishes can appear at any time. You can be a big help by cleaning them up.
Doing regular chores is good for you too. It will help give you a sense of responsibility, and prepare you for the things you will need to do when you are older and don’t live you’re your parents anymore. [9] X Expert Source Wits End ParentingParenting Specialists Expert Interview. 5 March 2020. [10] X Research source You can help here by giving your parents suggestions of things you would like to do. These can be chores you know you would be good at, or things you would like to get better at doing. In talking with your parents, you may decide that you will have a set list of chores, or maybe you will rotate a list of chores with your siblings. Create a chore chart. This is a good way to help everyone remember what you are supposed to be doing. [11] X Expert Source Wits End ParentingParenting Specialists Expert Interview. 5 March 2020. The chart should explain what you need to be working on, and how often you should do it. For example, setting the table could be every day, but taking out the garbage would only happen once a week. You can even be creative with the chart, and make something that has fun designs and ways of checking things off. Just remember that it needs to make sense to everyone who uses it. [12] X Research source Remember that chores may not always be divided fairly. If your siblings are too young to do something, you will need to do it until they are old enough. The important thing is to not whine about it, and do what needs to be done.
You should only feed him proper pet food, so no table scraps or treats. Don’t forget to make sure your pet also has a supply of clean water. If the dish still has water in it, but it looks dirty, rinse it out and refill it. This is a good thing to talk about with your whole family, so everyone knows who is supposed to feed your pets and when. You don’t want to overfeed or underfeed him.
If you have a place for your pet to use the bathroom, whether in the cage or a litter box, make sure you clean that out regularly as well.
Even cats will want some time with family members, so go ahead and pet him or let him curl up with you for a nap. Make sure you keep an eye on your pets, especially if they are smaller. You don’t want a gerbil or lizard getting loose in the house. Be nice and friendly to your pets. If you are mean or aggressive, your pets won’t like that. They will either become more aggressive to you, which could mean biting or scratching, or they will become afraid, and not want to play with you. [15] X Trustworthy Source American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Nonprofit organization dedicated to providing and improving psychiatric care for children and adolescents. Go to source
If you have a dog, or another pet that needs to use the bathroom outside, remember to bring a bag so you can pick up his poop to throw away. [16] X Research source
When you comb through hair, make sure to check for fleas and ticks, as well as anything else that might be stuck in your pet’s coat. If you see a tick you can try to get it off yourself, or ask your parents for help. Just make sure your parents know you found the tick, so they can call the vet if something needs to happen. You may be able to bathe your dog or cat as well. This can be tough, as your pet may not want a bath, or enjoy splashing. Make sure your parents know you want to give yours a bath. Just don’t overdo it. Once a month for dogs, or once every few months for cats, should be enough. For rodents and reptiles, pets that live in cages, keeping the cage clean should be enough. You don’t need to wash them.
