Making chores fun

Juggling day to day chores along with children is not an easy job, especially when your weekends are being sacrificed to do domestic tasks for example the shopping or making those flat-pack shelves that have been lying around forever. Is there a way to manage chores and children without having to give up every bit of ‘me’ time available? There is one way you can prevent yourself from exhaustion and frustration and that’s by getting your children involved in completing chores together. It will save time and will also help build their skills in team work, cooperation, responsibilityand self discipline. When assigning chores to your children it is important to remember their age and development levels. Giving your child a chore that is too easy for them can result in them becoming frustrated and getting bored too easily. This will become de-motivating for the pair of you. Similarly, giving children chores that are just too challenging for them will have the same effect.

Should you be paying your child to complete chores?

You might be thinking to yourself, “Why should I pay my child to do chores, when I have to do them regardless?” You’re right to think so, but it’s worth remembering that if you give your child an incentive to help you out, you’ll probably find they're more willing to help and it also eases a lot off pressure of you. If you find your child needs extra money, getting them to do chores in exchange is a perfect way of teaching them the value of working for money. Get together and agree a list of what chores you will pay them for and the standard of quality you expect the job to be completed in. This should prevent there being any arguments at a later date over expectations. Alternatively if you find your budget does not enable you to reward your child for their part in their chores financially, why not come up with another incentive for e.g. a games night or a movie night where they can pick a movie of their choice? Having such an event will also bring the family together and enable you to spend some quality time.
Top tips for getting children under the age of 8:

• Event a game for picking chores – cut strips of paper and then colour in one end with a colour representing a particular chore. When your child picks a strip they can then be in charge of completing that particular chore. Leave one strip uncoloured and this can be a ‘no chore’ option enticing your children to take part!
• Younger children can help you out with chores by perhaps helping water the plants, dusting or taking off sheets.
• Keep track of progress. Having a simple chart to follow how your children are getting on with their chores can build self-esteem, is good for motivation and also maintains a sense of direction. Use gold stars, build a garden by getting your children to stick on a flower each time they’ve completed a chore. Get creative!

Top tips for getting children aged 8 and above:

• Give children sole responsibility for their chores so that they have a sense of ownership and build up their confidence. Realising that they ‘must’ complete their own chores will also help their self-discipline.
• When your child finishes their chore a reward is a good way of saying thank you. It doesn’t have to be a bribe, but it is good to appreciate the hard work they have done and it will also help boost their self-esteem.
• Make sure you set an example for your child by completing your own chores on time. Your child will look to you as a role model, and if you don’t moan about your chores, they won’t either.