List of Funny Family House Rules for Cleaning

You Must Be Entertaining

• Tell your family members that they can't simply do their chores. Instead, they must put on a show while they complete their assigned tasks. For example, require each member of the family to sing a made-up song as they dust the living room or sweep the kitchen floor. Ask your children to do a dance or pretend to be a robot as they pick up their toys and put them away. Use a megaphone to give a loud play by play as each family member completes a chore. When cleaning house is a fun family activity, your children are more likely to get things done quickly and without complaining.

You Must Beat the Clock

• When it's time for the family to do their cleaning chores, tell them that they must beat the clock or start all over again. Set the timer for a reasonable amount of time so your children are successful at beating the clock. If you're picking up toys, set the timer for 10 or 15 minutes. If your children are sweeping, dusting or vacuuming, set the timer for 20 minutes. On your mark, the entire family should then scurry around getting things cleaned as quickly as possible. When everyone finishes before the timer goes off, do a family victory dance or give each other high-fives.

You Must Follow the Leader

• Require your family members to follow your lead as they clean the house. This allows you to guide them in doing their chores correctly, but it also allows everyone to enjoy themselves. For example, tell your children that they must put all their toys away, but they can only hop on one foot as they do so or that they must sweep the kitchen floor with only one hand. Ask your children to wear a pirate patch while they load the dishwasher or socks on their hands as they put books on the bookshelf. Whatever silly rule you make, you must also follow. Let your children take a turn being the leader and cheerfully dust with your eyes closed, vacuum while wearing a princess crown or whatever goofy rule your children come up with.

You Must Have Fun

• Above all, make it a rule that everyone must find a way to have fun while cleaning. Let your children draw eyes on socks with permanent markers and then let them dust with their puppets. Allow your kids to write a love letter on a window with dry erase marker before cleaning the windows. Encourage your child to sprinkle confetti on the kitchen floor before sweeping it up. Yes, this rule will take more time, but it will instill a sense of family togetherness and it will allow your children to have a good time as they complete chores that aren't all that much fun.