Helping Hands

17 ways to get your kids to pitch in with household chores

1. Start early. Teaching kids about cleanliness at an early age makes the task more a habit than a chore.
2. Be specific. Show kids how a task is done before assigning them.
3. Work with their personality. It’s not difficult to get kids to help if the chore appeals to them. E.g. if your kid likes water, ask him to wash the dishes.
4. Make it a habit. Let your kids make their beds every day, and to set the table for lunch and dinner.
5. Rotate. Give every child the chance to do different chores to prevent boredom.
6. Make it fun. When your kid puts away her toys, put some music. Pretend that you’re neighbors and that he also has his own house to clean up and dust off.
7. Give points. Let your kids receive stamps for every 5 points, and every 20 stamps gets them a monetary fund.
8. Provide positive reinforcement. Reward your kids for a great job with certificates.
9. Make chore time bonding time. Exchange stories while folding and putting clothes in the closet.
10. Don’t nag. Nagging turns them off. Sometimes the more you nag, the more that they won’t do it.
11. Set an example. Of course you must do your chores too. Children are more inclined to help when they see you working around the house.
12. Teach them how to delay gratification. Teach your kids to work before playing.
13. Give them their own cleaning tools. Child will be delighted and takes every opportunity to utilize them.
14. Give rewards. Prizes for doing chores vary depending on the age and wants or needs of the child. Monetary rewards should be accompanied by lessons on saving.
15. But don’t bribe them. Instead reward them in loving ways. For instance you can say, “when you finish your bed., I will read you a story.”
16. Don’t lose your cool. Screaming may get you what you want, but be careful. You don’t want your children thinking they need to yell to get their way, too, right?
17. Clean together, stay together. Make a Saturday as a family shore day. It’s fun to see everyone making a concerted effort to keep the house clean.

Source: Good Housekeeping 2005