Who knows better than parents that cleaning the house regularly helps keep germs at bay and goes a long way in preventing children from catching colds? fluand allergy symptoms?

Sometimes, however, parents could use a hand when it comes time to clean the house. Although you may not expect members of the toddler Prepared to put toys away whenever they’re done playing, there’s no reason an older child (say, age 6 and up) can’t begin taking those first steps toward becoming their mom’s little helper.

• Tell the truth. Don’t try to trick kids into helping clean the house, says Armin Brott. Children are no more prepared than adults to want to do household chores. Brott should know. This California father of three, under the guise of his alter ego Mr. Dad, is the author of seven parenting advice books and has appeared on television shows as divergent as Today show and Politically incorrect. Instead, Brott recommends testing the logic, but a little explanation goes a long way. He suggests something like, “This is how, as a family, we like to have the house,” instead of resorting to “Because I said so.”
• Make it a game. A great tactic to motivate younger children to clean the house, Brott says, is to turn household chores into a game, because kids want to win and be proud of themselves. “You say, ‘Let’s see who can put away the most toys; I’ll compete with you,’ and they win, feel proud of themselves, and want to do it again.” But be careful about pitting siblings against each other, Brott says. “If they are competing against you, you can throw it deliberately. “If you are competing with each other… you could end up sabotaging each other instead of working toward the goal.” The best idea, he suggests, is to work together toward a common goal. He tries something like, “Okay, everyone has to clean up! You two kids, clean this whole place up in five minutes and we’ll go out for ice cream.’”
• Keep promises. When it comes to rewards for helping clean the house, whether it’s ice cream, money, or extra time playing a favorite game, parents should do it, Brott says.

Older children will probably need increasingly sophisticated motivation to stay interested in helping. “There are several things you can set up as rewards,” says Brott. For example, “At the next family meeting, whoever did her job the best (however you find out who that is) will have first choice when we redo the chore chart next month.”

“Most children are not very enthusiastic about completing their homework and would rather watch cartoons or even MTV than solve their math problems,” Peters writes. “And that’s where you, the parent, come into play.” If your child knows that there will be no television until he finishes homework or cleans the kitchen, he will be more likely to comply. “Assignments, privileges, bedtime, electronic devices (anything that plugs into the wall or uses batteries) are all great consequences that will definitely motivate your child to get moving,” Peters says.

“I think it’s also good to have some tasks on the list that go beyond the basic things that are expected, so that there can be some extra credit tasks or something to earn a little money or some extra privileges or some kind of as a gift,” says Brott.

However, not all tasks deserve a reward. “I think there’s a line,” Brott says. “Everyone has to do certain things for the good of the family, and those things will not be rewarded. Your reward is that you get clean clothes; your reward is that you have toys to play with.”