Motivating Kids to Help with Chores

Most parents hate asking their kids to do chores in the house because they are unlikely to do a good job. You will probably have to redo it, so why ask them in the first place? What most of us forget is that it teaches them responsibility at a young age so that later, they are able to do those chores better.

So how do you get kids interested in helping with chores?

• By Teaming up

Teamwork makes the dream work, no? Asking kids to help with cleaning while you are doing it yourself makes them more receptive. They will want to spend time with daddy and if helping him was his car is the only way to get that done, then they are game. Of course, you will choose chores that they can do and not risky ones like roofing in Scarborough, Ontario, although some would want to be up there with you as you clean the gutters.

• Gas them up

Every time they do a chore properly, praise their work. Most kids love it when they are told the glass has never looked cleaner and so they will strive to keep cleaning with such vigor to get the same results every time. My friend pretends to make commentaries of his kids as they work to introduce an element of competition that not only gets them working harder, but faster. The first one wins a trophy put together with scraps and the kids love it.

• Make a Chore Chart

The chart will not only have the chores to be completed by the kids, but the parents as well. It shows that each member of the family is a contributor and that they all have a role to play to make the home livable. The chores can change weekly but there are those that should remain consistent so that the kids adapt and own them.

• Make it Playtime

My three kids love music as much as my husband and I and so we turn chores into playtime. One will be the DJ that chooses what songs to play while the rest of us work and dance along. We could either be cleaning room to room or working the backyard, but we noticed things get dome faster that way. While cooking, they will share the same responsibilities and help us make dinner or take turns setting the table.

• Routine is Boring

Even kids love growing and they can only do this when given challenging tasks. Rewards will only work for so long but it comes a time when kids don’t respond to them anymore. The best way, in my opinion, to get them interested in work is by introducing harder chores that you will supervise.

I didn’t know that my daughter could be into gardening until she asked if she could join me a few weeks ago. What I though was a one-off offer to help turned into an interesting project for her as I learned she is quite interested in plants. We planted veggies and new flowers for her to care for and nurture.

As much as you can, find what your kids are passionate about and nurture it. They will do this effortlessly.