Save Time on Cleaning and Get the Kids Involved with Easy Family Friendly Tips!

You run a busy home full of children and getting things done is not an option. Why put more work on your plate than is necessary? Use your house cleaning needs to teach some very valuable lessons to the younger members of your home and get them involved. Remember, you can use any of Bayes Cleaning Products, because they’re organic, environmentally and safe around children. (Same ingestion warnings apply, so smaller kids will still need supervision of course!)

Save Time on Cleaning and Get the Kids Involved with Easy Family Friendly Tips!

For Toddlers & Preschoolers

• Fetch diapers.

• Gather up toys and help them find their homes.
• Put dirty clothes in the bin.

• Help take clean clothes from the dryer and put them in a bin.

• Help pick up stray books and magazines - or even ask them to help stack them nicely.
• Dust surface tops.

• Help set the table; arrange spoons on napkins.

For the Kindergarteners

*all the above plus:

• Pull blankets across bed - first step to learning to make it

• Put toys and games (and all their pieces) in the proper boxes or bins.

• Clear table and place dirty dishes on the kitchen counter.

• Help unload the bigger tools from the dishwasher.

• Fill the pet's water dish.

• Take backpack from the car into the house.

• You spray the table and counters and they wipe them down.

Ages Six to Nine:

*all the above plus:

• Sort, fold and put away towels - great for hand/eye coordination.

• Feed pets.

• Exercise pets and clean up their ‘mess’.

• Clean pets' bowls and cages.

• Help make breakfast.

• Do simple cooking tasks such as rinsing or peeling vegetables.

• Take out trash and recycling, and remove compostable material.

• Pick up trash in car and empty car trash bag.

Ages 10-13

*all the above plus:

• Prepare and pour beverages for meals.

• Help hand-wash and dry dishes.

• Make lunches for school.

• Unload the dishwasher.

• Disinfect kitchen and bathroom counter tops.
• Sweep floors and mop.
• Fully clean bathrooms.

Ages 14-17

*all the above plus:

• Prepare meals.
• Babysit, pick up and drop off.
• Tutor younger children.

At Bayes, we want the best for your family! A healthy family cleans together and chooses healthy cleaning supplies as well, like our Organic Granite Cleaner for kitchen counters! We hope you get the most out of these tips and would love to hear from you as well!  What are your favorite family cleaning tips?

7 Family Friendly Tips for a Green Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a well known American holiday based on tradition and togetherness. Why not use this as a chance to create your own family traditions and pass on the sustainable and earth friendly values with your own family?  Traditions start in the home. They start with you.  Here are seven family friendly tips for a green Thanksgiving.

RRR

To make your Thanksgiving celebration as green as possible, start with "Reduce, Reuse & Recycle!"  You can reduce the amount of waste you produce by buying only as much as you need and choosing products that come in packaging that can be recycled. Carry reusable bags when you do your shopping, and use cloth napkins that can be washed and used again. Recycle and compost all leftovers. Many things can be reused or put into use for the following seasons! Think ahead.

Buy and Eat Local

Buying only locally grown food is one good way to have a green Thanksgiving. Locally grown food is good for your table, your health and the environment. Locally grown food tastes better than food that has to be grown and packaged for maximum shelf life, and it requires less fuel to reach store shelves. Locally grown food also contributes more to your local economy, supporting local farmers as well as local merchants.

Choose Organic 

Using only organic food for your feast is another good green Thanksgiving strategy. Organic fruits, vegetables and grains are grown without chemical pesticides and fertilizers; organic meat is produced without antibiotics and artificial hormones. The result is food that is better for your health and good for the environment. Organic farming also produces higher yields, increases soil fertility, prevents erosion, and is more cost-effective for farmers.

Plant a Tree

Trees absorb carbon dioxide—a greenhouse gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect and global warming—and give off oxygen in return. Planting one tree may not seem to make much difference in the face of global climate change, but small things do matter. In one year, the average tree absorbs roughly 26 pounds of carbon dioxide and returns enough oxygen to supply a family of four.

Make Your Own Decorations

With a few simple supplies and a little imagination, you can make great eco-friendly Thanksgiving decorations and have a lot of fun in the process. Colored construction paper can be cut or folded into simple Pilgrim, turkey and harvest decorations. You can also make your own clay and then shape and mold it into acorns, pumpkins or other holiday symbols. 

Bring in the Spiritual Side

The Pilgrims who celebrated the first Thanksgiving fled religious persecution in Europe to seek a better life in America. The Thanksgiving holiday was established to provide a national day for all Americans to give thanks. Even if you follow no particular religion, however, Thanksgiving is a good time to count your blessings, beginning with the many ways the natural environment sustains and enriches our lives. As part of your green Thanksgiving, make time for prayer, meditation, reflection, or perhaps just a walk in the woods to contemplate and give thanks for the wonders of nature.

Say Thank You

In the end, whatever you do on Thanksgiving, be sure you take the time to say thank you and set your heart to an intention of gratitude. Make this a time to say thank you to the people in your life who matter most and, if possible, to spend time in their company. Life is short so make every moment count. If distance or circumstances don't allow you to spend Thanksgiving with your loved ones, be sure to find a way to be in touch with them to tell them why you are thankful to them and how they make your world a better place. 

Bayes supports family and green living through our contribution of quality organic kitchen cleaning products, including our granite counter top cleaner.  (You may need a few bottles after this weeks festivities!) 

From all of us to you, we wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving!