One of the toughest battles thought in any household is between parents and kids over household chores. “Why haven’t you tidied your room?â€, “I told you to do the dishes half an hour ago†and “No television until this lounge is cleaned†are the sort of phrases that are being used to wage war in homes across the country.
Your kids aren’t choosing not to do chores just to be difficult. They’re avoiding doing them for the same reason you do and that is that doing chores is boring. They also don’t like the idea of being made to do something that is boring when they could be spending that time doing something fun. Again, sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
The key then to getting your kids to do their chores without it turning into a battle is to make doing them fun. How do you go about that? Here are three fun ways to get your kids helping with household chores.
Time your kid’s performance
Whether you want them to be or not, kids are competitive, particularly between the ages of five and six. They’ll compete over everything, from lost teeth to who has scored the most goals in soccer. You can turn this competitive nature to your advantage by using it to encourage them when it comes to their chores. Tell them they are going to be timed to see how long they can turn their bedroom from a tip into a well-cleaned room. Once they’ve got a time on the board, challenge them to beat that time next time they clean the room. If you’ve got more than one kid, you can even play them off against each other with competitions to see who can do the dishes or clean the car the quickest and a league table pinned to the refrigerator. You could even offer prizes to the winner of the most efficient, high standard clean of the month.
Make them feel like adults by letting them use your tools and equipment
Many kids resent having to do chores because it makes them feel like kids. When they see you working in the garden, you are using that powerful lawnmower but when they are expected to help, they get a trowel and a broom. Make them feel like adults by trusting them to use the equipment and tools you use. Obviously you won’t want them breaking that brand new hoover you’ve just picked up from Pickvacuumcleaner.Com, but with a littler supervision that won’t happen, they’ll feel more like an adult and therefore be more willing to take on the responsibilities that come with being a grown up.
Tie your kids allowance into doing chores
In 2017, 68 percent of American parents gave their kids an allowance. If you are one of those, then why not tie it into their chores? The harder they work, the more money they can earn to spend on whatever they like. Not only is it a great way to encourage your kids to do their chores and do them properly, but it will also teach them an important life lesson when it comes to how earning money works in the adult world.
Brought to you by our friend, Carol.