My children are obsessed with cleaning. I’m 80% convinced their going to grow up to be either janitors or electricians, since their other obsession is cords.
But I think cleaning really is their first love.
It all started with the broom. Despite their love of cleaning, they are seriously messy eaters. After each meal, I get out the broom and sweep the floor while they are still in their high chairs. They would throw a fit! So when they were about ten months old, I bought them miniature brooms. Eight months later, they remain a favorite toy. They carry those brooms around everywhere, although they prefer the “real thing.”
When I put on their bibs, they pull them off and start wiping off their high chairs. When I pull out the broom, they start screeching to play with it. When I attempt to vacuum. *sigh* This task can only be accomplished when the are ensconced in another room with adult supervision.
It’s cute, really. Hilarious even. They know where every broom, mop, and vacuum is in our house. They also know where all these items are in their grandparents’ house. At my house, I have a child lock on the closet that holds the cleaning supplies. They know they can’t get into that closet unless I let them in (though it doesn’t stop them from trying). At Grandma and Grandpa’s, though, there are no such restraints. Within two minutes of entering the house, both of them have a vacuum and are cleaning away.
Yesterday we went and had some photos taken with the twins’ cousins. Thing 2 found the one vacuum in that entire building. Seriously. And within two minutes of being in the room where it was stored.
So I let them clean away. They mop. They vacuum. They sweep. They dust. If only their efforts were actually contributing to the cleanliness of the household. Still, you don’t squash that kind of desire to clean, so I let them keep it up. Who knows? Maybe one day they’ll own a multi-billion dollar cleaning business. And then they’ll pay for their dear old mother to have a maid.
TWIN MOM TIP: Don’t bother with buying expensive toys. Your twins will be just as excited to play with household items you already have on hand.
