Champion the family together for a cleaning events.

Having recently watched the 2008 Summer Olympics, I realized something. I could have staged my own family Olympics, and ended up with a clean house.

We would have started by planning our own Olympic event, the Pentathlon, the night before our special day. We would choose an Olympic uniform, either a special t-shirt we had designed or simply a white t-shirt and shorts. We would create our scoreboard so that each family member's points could be tallied. Instead of having first, second, and third for each event, we would award various points and parents would be equal participants with the children. The actual events would be kept secret to avoid any unfair preparation. Finally, we would compile a list of simple rules to insure fairness, fun, and equal participation. By making cleaning day a fun event, children have the opportunity to make a task change from drudgery into fun.

On Pentathlon Day, we would open our home Olympics by parading to the kitchen and turning on our Olympic flame (a special light on the dining table). Following an special athlete-worthy breakfast, we would have our first event - Table Clearing. Upon hearing the start signal, each participant would be required to clear their place at the table, rinse their dishes, deposit them in the dishwasher, and then stand behind their place at the table. Points would be added to a participant's score for helping others, safety, sportsmanship, and speed. While no winner would be declared, participants would be encouraged with words and points.

Our second event would be Laundry. Each participant would scour the house for any dirty laundry. Beds would be stripped and replaced with clean sheets. Points would be awarded for the number of items found, efficient sorting of the laundry, folding, and putting away one's own clothes. This event could go on in between other events, continuing to add points to a person's total.

Our third event would be Dusting and Straightening. Team members would be in charge of clearing and cleaning their own bedrooms and family rooms. Points would be awarded for putting things away efficiently with no "hidden" dump piles.

Our fourth event would be Trash and Goodwill. Individual trash cans would be deposited in a communal trash bin, and everyone would go through their belongings for unused and unwanted items that could be donated. Points would be awarded for number and quality of items donated. This event would enable us all to periodically go through our belongings and reduce clutter.

Our fifth event would be Floors and Baseboards. Our team would go from room to room, cleaning, sweeping, mopping, and wiping, assigning age-appropriate tasks for this event. Even toddlers can use a cloth to wipe a baseboard. Extra points would be awarded for team efforts and teaching a younger sibling "how to." Working together would help our team realize any chore is manageable.

After all our events had been completed, we would meet again at the dining table for our Closing Ceremonies. Final points would be added for attitude, thoughtfulness, and cooperation. Our top athlete would be announced and awarded with a special prize and the choice of that night's family activity. As we enjoyed each other later that evening, we would be celebrating a clean house, but we would also be honoring the team that achieved it.

About the Author:

Luanne Davidson is the proud mother of three adult children and wonders what might have been if she had done a thing or two differently. She writes her "Coulda, Woudla, Shoulda" column each Thursday.

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