How to Get Kids to Help With Chores

Motivating kids to do chores around the house is a juggling act, and it takes discipline and psychology but not screaming. The attempt is to motivate children, as they get older, to do their fair share around the house. Chores teach children responsibility and make them more productive. Also, having kids help around the house makes them feel important, and they can gain a sense of self-esteem from a job well done. However since there have been chores, there has been kids that will do not do them. Kids today know all the tricks not to do their chores. Today's kids procrastinate and refuse to help, but there are a number of ways to get some good results.

One thing to do is make expectations clear. Post a chore chart so that every child in the house will know what to do and also what is expected from them. By posting a chart none of the children can claim ignorance as an excuse. One good idea is to rotate the chores regularly so that kids do not become bored or grow to dislike a certain routine.

Assign deadline for the completion of chores. Whether the deadline is within the hour, by bedtime or maybe as far as a week to complete the task, is clear about when you expect the chores to be completed. Younger children between the ages 6 and 8 should be given special instructions to make sure they understand what needs to be done and how much time it should take them to complete the chore. You need to check up on your children halfway through to see how it is going. That way they will learn how to use time management to their advantage.

Most importantly, assign certain chores to kids that fit their age. Toddlers can do simple tasks like putting toys away or placing their dirty clothes in the hamper. Preschoolers like to play at cleaning along with you. Have them throw their sock on the hamper or dust the furniture. Get them a child size broom and have them sweep the kitchen. Elementary school kids can make beds each morning, put clothes away and most of all put their toys away. Be careful how they handle breakables, come children at this age are less coordinated than others. Ten-year-olds and above can help with vacuuming, sorting and folding laundry, meal preparation and helping with yard work.

At times, as painful as it may be, we need to enforce consequences. If you child does not take care of the chore, take away something that is important to them. For example, take away their favorite toy or do not let them watch TV. If they do not clean up their room by a certain time, keep track on a chart or paper and when allowance time comes, they do not get one. Money is a great motivator. If a child is denied his or her allowance for not completing their chores and on time, you will see dramatic positive results.

On several occasions you may need to be flexible. If a child has exams or a sporting event in the near future, they may need to cut back on household duties for a few days. If you have several kids in your household, you may let them choose the chores that they may want to take care off. Occasionally, take a look at the big picture, because if a child's bed is not made each and every single morning, you can figure it is not a big deal.

The best way to encourage your children to take care of their chores is to lead by example. Make sure your own belongings are organized as much as possible and keep your bedroom neat and clean at all time, so your children will have a good role model.