5 tips to get your kids interested in housework
Parents often underestimate the capabilities of their children to contribute and help out around the house. It's not a question of intelligence or capability, but rather one that can be solved with simple routines and lessons in responsibility.
I'm sure if you have kids, you don't think they're capable of helping out with anything around the house without making a mess. But it's pretty easy to involve them in your daily routine and teach them skills that will make their future lives much easier. Here are some tips to help get your kids interested in housework.
Assign them chores that match their age and ability
The child's age and ability level should be taken into consideration when assigning chores. It's also important to note that chores should fit into your child's overall development at a given age and ability level. For example, if your child is five years old and he or she still has trouble with fine motor skills, don't give them a task like cleaning the fridge. Your expectations may set them up for failure instead of success. Small successes will help motivate them to keep going. So, if the initial task is bound for failure, you're more than likely going to discourage them from completing other tasks in the future. Let them choose tasks they know they can do and praise them when they complete these small tasks.
For older children, it's also a good idea to keep them engaged, so they don't become bored and discouraged. I recommended that each child be assigned two different jobs of equal difficulty.
Create a routine
This can be done by creating a map of how you'll complete tasks throughout the day and then assigning the tasks to your children. Kids love knowing what they're supposed to do throughout the day and it gives them something to look forward to.
If your kids are younger, get them involved as much as possible by letting them help pick out what items should go where, what foods you should buy for the day, and letting them help you prepare. This will make it more fun and interesting for them to look forward to helping out.
Give your kids a checklist to ensure they've completed each task you assigned them for the day. They'll be able to see how much progress they've made and will more likely become motivated to complete the checklist. Instead of pencil and paper, maybe try using crayons or stickers to mark what is done. Be creative and don't forget that they are kids.
After getting started and seeing how much fun it is, your kids will be more interested in helping out around the house than ever. When they're older, you'll also have taught them valuable life skills that can help them when they move out or start families of their own.
Teach responsibility through positive reinforcement
Teaching responsibility through positive reinforcement is the best way to go. While many people think that punishment is the only way for children to behave, it's unnecessary. Parents should turn chores into a game and turn it into a reward instead of a punishment.
Another method that might work with older children is to create charts with stars for each chore completed and rewards at milestones like five stars or ten stars filled up on a chart. This can be an effective way of showing progress in chores completed, which can then be turned into privileges or small rewards for the children.
Praise your children for doing the right thing, but don't overdo it
It is possible to praise your children for doing the right thing or following instructions, but don't overdo it. Praising them too much will make them expect rewards and feel entitled to rewards for doing basic tasks. Always be supportive and encourage them to do the right things instead of punishing them for doing the wrong things. When children grow up in this environment, they will have a higher sense of what is acceptable in society. They will have no problem growing up into responsible adults capable of tackling any challenge that comes their way.
Be patient with them
If, at first, your children don't act like they want to help, give them a chance. Be patient with them because it may just be that they find it boring and are trying to avoid doing any work around the house. Make it clear that this is an opportunity for them to learn skills that will someday make their life easier. Maybe ask when is the best time for them to do chores and let them choose.
It is often difficult to get your kids interested in housework. This article lays out how you can involve them in household tasks and teach them valuable skills that will make their future lives much easier. We recommend starting with basic chores for children, such as cleaning up after themselves so they can gain confidence and self-reliance. Once they've mastered these skills, move on to more complex tasks like cooking dinner or folding laundry.