It is so important for kids to help with household chores. They are helping contribute to the mess, so they should help clean it up! Helping can start a lot younger than you think.
You are raising them to be responsible adults, not kids!
In this post, I’ll be sharing some great tips to get your kids to help with chores. Without complaining.
1. Start When They are Little
Kids are much more capable than we think.
2 year-olds can help pick up toys, wrappers, wipe surfaces.
3 year-olds can pick up clothes, put them in a drawer, and help switch laundry from washer to dryer
- *Create visuals
- Chore charts, magnets, or jars with coins/popsicle sticks that have a picture of chores attached.
- *Create routine
- Try to make a habit of doing chores at the same time each day as much as possible.
- Use habit stacking as much as possible. I start at a young age with my kids. I teach them to set baskets and papers in certain spots as reminders to put things away.
*Start with little tasks when they are young and build. If you start when they are young, they will grow up knowing helping with chores is normal. Sure, you will have some groans here and there, but overall they get more used to it than you think!
Here is a great post from Jordan Page on kids helping with chores. It discusses being responsible with their own clipboard checklists.
2. Take time for training
I get it….it seems faster to just hurry and do everything yourself.
I’ve heard from a few wise women….You are raising adults, not kids. The thing is, investing in training when kids are young plays a big role in their success as adults.
Reminders and retraining are needed often in the beginning. Some days feel so frustrating! It’s like we are getting nowhere. I notice if I push myself to focus on the positive, they actually are making more progress than I think.
Over time, you notice how truly helpful kids can be. Two heads are better than one, and many hands are better than 2.
3. Make it Non-negotiable
- As they get older, chores need to be finished before:
- Screen time, going out with friends, or doing fun projects
4. Make it Fun
Play fun songs. Sing and laugh together as a family. Remind them…We work hard together so we can play hard together!
Set timers. We work together for 10 minutes after each meal. During this time, we knock out dishes and tackle a couple of cleaning jobs daily. This way, we are never spending a few hours each weekend catching up on cleaning!
5. Give LOTS of Encouragement
Don’t be afraid to go a little overboard especially in the beginning. It feels good to anyone to know their hard work is getting noticed!
I like to teach my kids to handle constructive criticism and learn from others. I also make sure to point out what they did right. It is good for me and them. Otherwise, it can be so easy to just focus on the negative. That just ends up in frustration for everyone.
There you have it. 5 tips to get your kids to help with chores! I hope these help you include team work in your home. Let’s teach our kids to work together on the have-to’s so there is more time for the fun get-to’s!
