No one likes household chores, and few people like them less than kids. The reasons for this are fairly simple, chores are boring, and kids generally fail to understand the idea that boring stuff is worth doing and would rather spend their time doing fun stuff. To get your kids involved in household activities therefore, the answer is to make them fun, if presented in the right way, most chores can be turned into games for kids. It may take a little time, but getting your kids excited about household activities is more than worthwhile in the long run, not only will you get some help around the house but you’ll be instilling a strong value system into your children.
To make household activities enjoyable for kids, timing them is often a great idea, as challenges like how quickly you can tidy away all your toys or water the garden are far more stimulating for children than mere instructions to do the same thing. You could also keep record of the time taken and encourage your children to try and beat their personal best every time. Importantly, you’ll need to have a positive attitude to chores if you want your kids to get involved, so dance around, sing and put some music, in short, do everything you can to make household activities seem exciting instead of boring.
Generally, you should try to teach your children to do chores without expecting a reward, but keeping a chore chart might be a good idea, with gold stars for every chore completed and a small incentive for a successful week, such as being able to stay up and hour later on Sunday night.
Many household activities of course involve domestic appliances, with washing machines, dishwashers and tumble dryers having all become a mundane part of everyday life to most adults. To kids however, these machines can seem exciting and grownup if presented in the right way. Make an effort therefore to explain in detail how the washing machine works, show how the drum rotates and explain all the different settings. After all, knowing exactly what’s going on is only going to make your kid more excited to put laundry in, they’ll then be able to see exactly how their clothes get clean.
Finally, and most importantly, it’s vital to incorporate household chores into a daily routine so your children think of helping around the house as something they do every day at a certain time, just like meal time, bed time and play time.
Follow these tips and you should be well on the way to having a happy house full of little helpers, and, more importantly, you’ll be raising your kids to know the value of helping others and working as a team.