Getting Children To Do Their Chores
There’s always a lot to do around any family house, and unfortunately everyone a lot of the everyday and weekly chores aren’t all that much fun. (If they were, they probably wouldn’t be chores.) A clean home, no matter how fleeting for busy families, is nevertheless a source of pride and joy.
Once children reach the age of six or seven, they can safely be trusted with any number of little chores and tasks around the house, including most kinds of cleaning and also caring for plants and pets. While their responsibilities shouldn’t include strenuous physical labor, they should offer some opportunity to do a good job and receive some form of reward.
Even the small jobs are important.
Children sometimes feel resentful if they believe the tasks they’re given are routine and unimportant. After all, no one enjoys “scutt work.” Just the same, children should understand that even small jobs contribute to the larger whole, and that some of the tasks are their personal responsibility. This can include making their beds, folding clothes, and putting away loose toys or games. Getting the child focused on keeping their room straight also helps them build organizational skills for the future.
Parents can participate in the routine work with the children the first couple of times or so, then explain to the children that they’re capable of “going it solo” from there on out.
Use positive – not negative – reinforcement to motivate the kids.
Children thrive on praise and wilt under the glare of criticism or guilt. Use comments and encouragement to get the children working at their chores. However, don’t make a big deal out of their meeting their responsibilities – this only distorts their expectations for later performances. Instead, commend them on a job well done and move on.
Be consistent in assigning chores.
Children perform best when comfortable within a set structure. Giving a set list of chores reassures them of your fairness and gives them the freedom to schedule their own time to complete each task.
Parents can put the list of chores in an easy-to-read place within the home, for example on the kitchen refrigerator. As the child completes each task they can check off the list, showing parents their progress.
Don’t let money get in the way.
Using money as an incentive to complete their assigned chores only tells children that their responsibilities are for rent and not a part of their family duties. While it’s fine to give children an allowance, there should be a clearly stated (written down, even) understanding of what earns the allowance and what falls short. Allowance should not as a rule be negotiable and not given in advance.
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