Surprisingly, in other cultures worldwide—from the farmers in Yucatan to the foragers in Tanzania, parents adopt the opposite approach.
As soon as the child starts to walk, they are introduced to kids chores and are assigned tiny subtasks. Over time, the child will learn what needs to be done around the house.
By the time the kids turn to preteens, they have mastered all the household chores and will do them without being told.
Teaching children how to help with household chores teaches them about teamwork, responsibility, discipline, and the value of hard work. Nowadays, some smart parents give their children a kids debit card to reward them for helping while teaching them about financial responsibility at the same time.
Getting Children to Help Without the Drama
For many parents, getting kids to help with household chores is often easier said than done. The good news? If you employ the right strategies, you can get them to willingly help without all the fuss.
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Strategy #01: Remove Any Distractions
If your kids are not doing their chores, they are likely distracted. That said, you need to determine what the distraction is and remove it.
In many cases, removing the distraction means turning the electronics off. It is also recommended that they don’t use their gadgets until all their chores are done.
It is also ideal that you explain to them briefly why you need to remove their distraction and ask them what their plans are once the chores are done. From there, you can motivate them to finish their assigned chores so they can move on to what they want to do. Appealing to their self-interests is effective when asking kids for help.
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Strategy #02: Set a Time Limit for the Chores
Setting a time limit is a great way to get kids to prioritize their chores. For instance, you can have them do the dishes in 20 minutes.
You need to also have a consequence in place if they don’t finish a chore in time. For instance, they can lose some electronics time or be in bed 20 minutes earlier.
The beauty of this system is you won’t have to constantly nag them about doing their chores anymore. All you need to do is keep time.
You can also encourage the kids to beat their previous records. For example, If they can get a chore done five minutes earlier, you can incentivize them by giving them five more minutes of playtime.
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Strategy #03: Create a Structure
Having a structure is crucial when doing household chores. Case in point: evenings are typically ideal for completing chores during the school year since doing them in the morning will only add to the stress of getting their school work done.
However, chores should be completed in the morning during summers, so they are out of the way early.
As a general rule of thumb, before they touch any of their gadgets, their beds have to be made, their room tidy, and the clothes should be in the hamper. This way, kids will learn and understand that their responsibilities have to be met before having some free time.
The idea here is to not pull your child back from doing something exciting just to do something boring and mundane. Instead, have them work through the mundane and boring tasks first, like doing the chores so they can get to something exciting like playtime with their siblings.=
In addition, set aside time when all the kids get to do their chores simultaneously. For instance, your 15-year-old can unload the dishwasher while your 10-year-old takes out the garbage. This way, no one feels like they are missing out or being punished. They won’t also feel distracted as everyone is also doing their chores.
other related articles of interest:
Money Mastery: Top 5 Ways to Teach Kids about Finances
The Must Know First Aid Principles You Need to Teach Your Kids
Final Thoughts
Getting your kids to do the chores can become a battle if you allow it. If you are constantly standing over their shoulders and telling them what to do, but they are not complying, then you are in a battle. As a parent, you need to put a stop to the battle, or you can get caught in a nagging cycle. Replace nagging with the strategies above, and you will win the battle once and for all.
Image Credit: how to get your kids to do chores by envato.com
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