Perhaps the best $20 I have ever spent in my life was used this January, when I purchased a Dirt Devil Versa Power Stick Vacuum.
Nora is now nearly 4 ½ and the preschool drive for “a place for everything and everything in its place” is especially strong at this age. She’d been tossing her jacket and boots right where everyone walks in from the door, but the second I hung hooks at her level and designated a shelf for her boots, she’s been putting them away ever since. I’ve taken advantage of her love of “grown-up jobs” by giving her special chores around the house. She is hopeless at sweeping, but enjoys folding washcloths and small towels, matching socks, putting away her clothes, etc.
This being said, I’m an inconsistent cleaner and thereby inconsistent with designating tasks. And picking up toys must be considered a “kid job” because it is far less appealing to Nora than setting the table. Every corner and spare countertop in my house is covered with my piles of papers, and toys and crafts and books often live on the floor instead of their designated shelves and bins. To make matters worse, even when the floors are free of debris, both kids think that the vacuum is too loud and scary and flee to the farthest corner of the house should I think to turn it on.
One day I was grumbling over popcorn crumbs all over the floor of the just-cleaned-yesterday living room, Nora suggested she vacuum them up with our older-than-dirt-can’t-hold-a-charge dust buster. She and Finn then proceeded to vie for turns with the silly little thing until it wouldn’t run anymore (approximately 3 minutes). They then took turns pretending to vacuum with their toy Dust Buster vacuum that I had purchased 3 years ago for 5 bucks on after Christmas clearance. I thought to myself, probably for about the hundredth time, “Gee, I wish I had a real vacuum that Nora could use, because then all that pushing would actually also clean my house.”
Well, that day I decided it was enough. I was ready to stop wishing and take action. After some internet searching, I decided on this little Dirt Devil, as it got decent reviews and only cost 20 bucks. (Twenty, by the way, was also the pre-sale price of our toy vacuum). I was hesitant at first because it wasn’t cordless, but thinking about my useless cordless dust buster that hasn’t held a charge since the first 6 months I owned it, and seeing how much more expensive the cordless options were, I decided to give it a shot.
BEST. DECISION. EVER.
Since buying this vacuum just over a month ago, Nora has pushed it around various rooms in our house at least 20 separate times. She asks me if she can vacuum. She picks blankets and books and toys off the floor and puts them away…so that she can use her vacuum. Have I mentioned yet, that I love this vacuum?
Now, I’m not claiming this is perfect. My house is still often messy. And the Dirt Devil is really just a small hand vacuum on a stick, so I still need to get out the REAL vacuum too. This said, my son doesn’t run screaming out of the room when we pull the little red one out. I look forward to the day when he too will want to use it for more than the minute at a time he is currently investing (he is only 2). Between Nora and Finn, I’m pretty sure mommy will be getting years of help around the house though. Like I said, best $20 I’ve ever spent.
