How to get kids involved in helping around the house.

The idea of doing chores around the house can be mighty unappealing for parents and kids.  For parents, we can understand why we need to do said chores- both to keep the house clean, tidy and germ-free, but to also make it presentable for anyone who may come over.  But for kids, they don’t find this a motivator.

Helping around the house though is incredibly important.  They can learn life skills like responsibility, time management and being part of a team.  They can also learn a sense of pride and capability.  To get them involved, there are steps parents can take to make it easier.

Don’t call them chores.

Kids are more likely to help out around the house if we reframe things.  Let’s do away with the term ‘chores’ and reframe it into helping out the family.  Kids love to feel included and like their help is welcomed and needed.

Make tasks age-appropriate.

Start with helping out early on, with age-appropriate tasks.  You can start as early as 2 years old because this is when they are eager to help.  At this age, my kids loved sweeping and emptying the dishwasher so we embraced it!

Show them they are part of a family team that all gets involved.

Being part of a family means helping out around the house,  Refrain from thanking him for doing his chores as it can teach him to do things only to please you.  Instead, let him know how his help benefits the family.

Ditch an allowances for completed tasks.

Children shouldn’t be paid to do help out around the house.  This doesn’t provide them with internal motivation to help out, but instead only motivates to help for monetary gain.  We want kids to be motivated to help because they are a helpful member of the family.  Paying for ‘chores’ can also make kids feel like they always require pay off to do something.

Ensure tasks are allocated based on age or capabilities.

Try not to make allocate tasks based on gender, but do make them capacity-based.  If something is a little tricky you can spend time helping them learn how to do it, working together as a family is a lovely way of getting household tasks done.

Make it fun.

For kids making it fun can be a great motivator – sign some songs, pick up toys starting with A and working down the alphabet or go by colors.  Whatever your kids will enjoy!

Segment into small tasks that lead to the bigger whole.

For big tasks like cleaning the living room or their room, you might want to break it into manageable steps.  Kids can get overwhelmed at big tasks, making them discouraged and less likely to work at it.  Perhaps they can put the books away, then the toys on the floor and so on.

Helping out around the house is a wonderful way of teaching kids how important they and their contributions to the family are.  With these tips, you should be on your way to getting your kids involved in the household in a useful and meaningful way.  If you want more help with getting your kids motivated to help around the house, or any other child behavior issues, please reach out for a get-acquainted call, or just straight to booking a consultation.