Despite what you think, children (even yours) like to do chores.
This may be tough to believe when the majority of children fuss
when asked to clear the table, “forget” to pick up after
themselves and throw a “hissy fit” when you ask them to clean
their room.
The
Secret Truth About Chores and Children
Many children have simply forgotten how fun chores can be.
Instead, they’ve learned that chores are something they “have”
to do.
To a young child, chores are an adventure. The vacuum is
awe-inspiring, dishwashing is as thrilling as a bath, and the
washing machine is fascinating. Children start out believing
household tasks are fun, but slowly lose their enthusiasm when
they are repeatedly told: “don’t touch,” “move out of the way,”
and “go run and play.” Soon all those cool appliances lose their
appeal.
Training youngsters in the art of chores can be exhausting,
especially since it takes children ten times as long to complete
tasks, with results that are often less than satisfying. The
folded laundry may look like a messy heap, the swept floor was
somehow cleaner before they started, and the dishes are now
covered in streaks and bubbles. Thus, parents often deter their
little ones from lending a helping hand, and send them off to
play.
Then a funny thing happens, though. As our children grow, we
begin to expect them to help out around the house… but when we
ask them to help out they turn their noses up and say, “Nope,
I’m going out to play.” We really shouldn’t be surprised! We
have been training them for years to do just this.
Ideally, child chores should start at the toddler stage (when
they first show interest), but luckily, they can start at any
age! Training (like parenting) takes time and energy, but once
kids equate chores with fun—face it, you’ve got it made. More
importantly, chores also help develop children’s self-esteem.
Children who are involved in maintaining the household feel a
sense of pride and accomplishment.
Three
Simple Parenting Ways to Make Your Child’s Chores Fun
So let’s
start motivating our children to love chores, with three simple
parenting tips:
-
Use
“positive child chore talk”
– Children model what they see. Bite your tongue and refrain
from groaning about chores yourself. Instead of complaining,
“I have to do so much around here”, use an
enthusiastic comment such as, “Yippee! I get to do my
chores.” Sure, it sounds corny (especially if it’s time
to scrub the toilet), but mustering up genuine excitement
can make a tremendous difference to your children’s view of
chores. Try it – you may even convince yourself!
-
Turn
chores into a game
– Make cleaning a fun challenge by timing how quickly you
and your kids can do your chores together, thoroughly
(this is critical to add!).
3. Make
chores a team effort – Dance your way to spotless by playing
uplifting tunes. Share stories and talk about your day—watch how
quickly “chore time” can become “quality time”!
By making your
child’s chores fun, and using chore time as a way to connect as
a family, what were once annoying tasks can become the stuff
that happy family memories are made of.
