Sometimes the workload we have at home seems endless and even once everything is completed, you probably still can think of more things to do. Remember you are not alone in the household and that you are part of a team. Why should children help out with chores? Well, firstly it teaches independence. It is important that children know how to take care of themselves and their environment as you won’t always be there all the time. Setting them up with these skills is a lifelong learning experience. Independence goes hand in hand with responsibility as children will learn that their actions lead to consequences. If they make a mess, they have to learn to clean it up. Additionally, you are all a family so responsibilities need to be shared and everyone needs to do their part.
A very important skill learned from helping out with chores is time management and organization. Children will get to see how long chores take and how to tackle them accordingly. Now that we spoke about some of the benefits, let’s move on to methods that will encourage helping out around the house. Firstly, start off with small appropriate tasks when they are young. As they get older the tasks can be more complicated and these can be done without supervision. Never say no when they ask to help out. Take this opportunity to teach them how they can complete the task if they don’t know how and be grateful for the offer even if it won’t change your workload that much. If they ask to do something that can’t really be done due to their age or is too dangerous such as cutting fruit with a sharp knife include them in the task by letting them watch or finding an alternative to a sharp knife that they can use.
Making a chore chart can be a fun way to include your children in the process of picking out their own chores and visually seeing what they need to do in the day. Make the chart colourful and if you want to go the extra mile stick the chores on the chart using hook and loop fasteners or double-sided tape, that way each week the chores can be alternated to mix things up and make it more exciting.
How good are your children at listening to you?
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