Cleaning up.
"Clean up" is a whole pile of invisible steps. Naming them one at a time makes a mountain into stairs.
Visual schedule
Cleaning Up
- clean up
- throw away trash
- wipe the table
- sweep the floor
- all done
More ways to make clean-up easier
What to expect
"Clean your room" is overwhelming because it's not one task, it's twenty. Breaking it into a short, visible list gives your kid a finish line they can actually see coming. Keep it to a few steps.
One tip from a dad who's been there
End on "all done" as its own step. The visible finish is the reward, and a literal-thinking kid needs to know exactly when it's over.
