Hola Chulas y Chulos! I hope things are going better for you than they are for me. This week’s The Flying Chancla Report, entitled Latina Mom’s Guide to Training Kids to Clean, is a result of my flying chancla getting on my case and threatening to hit me. Me?! Can you believe that? My chancla wants to hit me and you wanna know why? ‘Cause she says I’ve been failing my kids by not teaching them to clean the way that legions of Latina moms before me have taught their chamacos.
OK, it’s true; I’ve been slackin’ and letting my kids do a lot less than I did when I was their age because I guess I’m just too dang Americanized, but that’s about to change. I put together this refresher course for myself. Please feel free to use it yourself.
If your child says they’re bored, make them clean.
Only flojos and sucios get bored because there is always something to clean.
Do not underestimate the abilities of a young child.
If they are old enough to stand, they’re old enough to clean.
ALSO READ: Bob Saget and the Cholula Hot Sauce Lady Are Twinsies
Minimize the amount of work you are having them do.
They might think that a sink overflowing with dishes is a lot of work, but you tell them it’s not with a straight face and if they try to argue, remind them that you could invite all of their aunts, uncles and primos over for dinner to show them what it really feels like to do a lot of dishes.
Teach them to associate certain music with cleaning.
On the weekends blast Spanish-language music and have all the cleaning supplies out and ready to go so that your child can start cleaning immediately after waking and more importantly will always get the urge to clean when they are at a home and Latin music comes on.
ALSO READ: Bob Saget and the Cholula Hot Sauce Lady Are Twinsies
These training methods work and have life-long results.
If you train them right, cleaning becomes instinctual.
That’s it for this week’s The Flying Chancla Report. I love you mucho and remember, spread love, not chanclazos!
If you share this tried and true guide far and wide, the world will be a cleaner place because of it.
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