Some days, my children are amazing. They do chores without complaint, they complete school assignments with excellence, they help without being asked. But, sometimes, it’s a struggle to get my children moving when it’s time to pick up toys. Every once in a while, when a day is extra hard, I like to have a Jelly Bean Clean.
When it is time for a Jelly Bean Clean, I call all the children together and explain the rules. Everybody has to help. Everyone gets rewarded. For every ten items you pick up, you will get one jelly bean. You can eat your jelly beans right away, or you can save them up for later. No matter how many jelly beans you get, you have to keep working until we are done or you forfeit them all. (Had to make that rule for the big kids…) Then I start them off. Ready, Set, Go. (Have to make it fair!) I also try to quietly remind the bigger kids to leave the easy stuff for the little ones.
At the end of this particular Jelly Bean Clean, Jonathan (age 11) had picked up 270 items! Anna (age 8 ) had picked up more then 100! You have never seen children hurry to pick up toys like this. I still cannot believe we had over 500 items out of place… How does that happen?
Happy Cleaning!
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