By Keshyla Reddick
Chores are on most kids’ list of things they’d rather not do. Getting help around the house is an age-old challenge for parents.
So here are a few tips to help boost your success rate!
This or that: Give your child a choice between two jobs and let them pick which one they’d rather do. It might seem like a small decision, but they’ll be less likely to fuss if they get to choose their task.
Teamwork: Why not make this a lesson in working together? Having your child help you or one of their siblings with something around the house is a great start. For example, one child clearing the table while the other does the dishes or loads the dishwasher is teamwork at its finest.
Keep track of progress: Charts on the fridge may be a tad old school, but youngsters work best when they can see the end result. Keep track of how well the task was done (a bit of praise for a job well done goes a long way too, but be careful not to overdo it). Eventually, if you’re lucky, things will get done without you asking.
Consistency: Doing the same chore on a weekly basis allows the child to see progress and feel comfortable in a routine.
Rewards: Now, this can be tricky, because you don’t want to over-reward or have your kids always expecting a prize. Try explaining that the reward system has limits based on above-average performance. Outline examples you decide to use.
