Involve your children in the daily chores around the house. Make them feel like they are part of the solution, instead of the problem.

I started with Savannah at an early age teaching her the basics of cleaning house. She loved the idea of getting to help.

While you are dusting the countertops, let your child dust the front of the television with a feather duster.

Make it like a contest; compile a list of chores that need to get done, then split up the responsibilities.

Turn off the television and turn on the radio. Your child will love dancing to her favorite song while cleaning up.

If you need to sweep the floor, use the broom, and let them use the dustpan. When you work together as a team, anything is possible.

A trick my husband and I learned with laundry is to let Savannah fold up the smaller items. She gets so excited going through that laundry basket trying to find the washcloths. We know we cannot fold those up or she will get after us.

Once all the piles are separated we race to our destinations, put up our things, and whoever gets back to the laundry basket first is the winner.

Both of the kids have baskets on the floor in their closet. Each child has one for shirts, skirts, and pants. The other one is for socks and underwear. Savannah enjoys getting the chance to pick out her own clothes. Sometimes she will disappear in that closet for hours playing dress up.

We even have baskets in most of the rooms for storing toys. At the end of the day, the toys go back in their respective baskets. The next day we pull the baskets back out and let the kids play.

I try to keep the kids as involved in everyday things as much as I can.

Inside the pantry there is one shelf that is dedicated to snacks for the girls. Savannah is very independent, so she likes the idea of being able to do things on her own.

The same concept goes for washing the dishes. When the dishwasher is done going through the cycles, I give Savannah the utensils to put up (no knives of course), and I do the rest. Addy’s role is just standing there beside us and making us laugh.

Do not forget fixing meals. Kids love getting messy. Set out all of the needed ingredients for a meal, and let your kids have fun with it. The smile on your child’s face is priceless.

Kids do not care if you are popular, have a good job, or drive a fancy car. All they care about is you spending valuable time with them. A friend of mine gave me the best advice. It is not the quantity of time you spend with a child, it is the quality of time.