The Babywise Friendly Blogging Network is sharing Summer Tips and Tricks with you today! Summer is in full swing here. We homeschool but we are taking a break from schooling this June which means my children have lots of opportunity for free play throughout the day. Which means lots of toys are played with. Which means lots of toys need to be cleaned up!

I got so tired of constantly saying, “Time to clean up toys!”

So I decided to make a secret signal for the girls so they will know when to clean up toys.

My signal?

The vacuum cleaner!!!

My girls know when they hear the vacuum cleaner come on, it is time to CLEAN UP!

Usually after breakfast the girls are ready for some play time together. I love this because it lets me get some household chores accomplished before we start school and the girls burn some energy playing together.

But then I would want them to clean up and I would tell them to clean up and there would be complaints and crying and gnashing of teeth. One thing would lead to another and before you knew it, we were ALL in a bad mood. Over toy clean up.

Then I decided to tell the girls that their secret signal to clean up was going to be when they hear me turn on the Swiffer vacuum to sweep the floors!

Now, when I am ready for them to clean up toys from playing so we can move to our structured activities, I vacuum the floors and the girls clean up their toys!

The vacuum comes on and saves me from having to say a hundred times “Clean up your toys!”.

Go to the Babywise Pinterest Board to find more tips and tricks!

- Elaine