Merry Maids Makes Summer Chores a Blast for Kids

MEMPHIS, TN--(Marketwired - June 08, 2016) - Summertime is meant for vacations, play dates, picnics and a host of other fun adventures. However, it also happens to be a time when home cleaning tends to take a back seat and messes prevail. While kids are having a ball, parents often pull double-duty to keep the home clean, organized and orderly . . . until now.

Merry Maids, the nation's largest home cleaning company and a business unit of ServiceMaster (NYSE: SERV), has created the "Merry Maids Kid Ambassador" program that encourages parents to find creative ways to involve their children in household chores by offering fun, age-appropriate cleaning tips and tricks.

"During the summer, parents can struggle to find a steady routine to fill their kids' day with fun activities, while also keeping a clean household," says Debra Johnson, a Merry Maids home cleaning expert. "By simply combining the two, turning chores into games and offering small rewards, parents can get kids excited about cleaning and, at the same time, help them learn how to take on more responsibilities."

The "Merry Maids Kid Ambassador" tips provide fun ideas for getting kids involved and excited about cleaning up the most common kid-made summer messes.

Everybody, Clean Up: While kids are home for the summer, it's important to divide and conquer the household chores. Working as a team gives your family extra time for fun.

• Year 'round, but especially during the summer, everybody helps -- that's the rule. Start with a chore chart and assign three age-appropriate tasks to each child, such as making beds, organizing toys, tidying up their room, sorting laundry. Older kids can even help with more complex chores. Let kids decide which task they want to do first and set a timeframe for completion, like before lunch, so they free up the rest of their day for fun activities. Make the chores fun through "Pretend Play" -- give kids a mini cleaning bucket, gloves, a microfiber cloth and have them dress the part of a cleaning professional. Mary Ann Jernigan, Merry Maids expert, suggests having each chore equal a dollar amount kids can earn and spend on their favorite things. If kids stick to the chart and complete chores for a week, take them on a fun field trip.

Post Play Date Fun: Play dates are perfect for entertaining kids, and not to mention burning some energy. However, it can also mean bigger messes. Glitter from crafts, spilled drinks, ice pop stains, and toys and games can quickly turn this happy activity into a marathon cleanup session for parents.