Chores not only give your kids something to do, they also teach your kids responsibility. Not to mention the extra time you will gain by having another set of hand helping you clean.
I'm not going to lie. Up until recently, my girls did not help out with many chores around the house. I was one of those parents that found it easier to just do everything myself.
Boy was I wrong. Ever since I started giving my 2 and 4 year old chores to do, things have been much easier. Not only do I spend less time doing chores myself but I have also noticed a significant decrease in arguments and temper tantrums.
A few things you have to remember when introducing young kids to chores are
Break things up
Telling your child to clean their room may seem like a simple task to you but to a child it can be a little overwhelming. By breaking the task up into smaller, more manageable tasks, you child won't feel so overwhelmed and will be able to clean their room all by themselves. A few ways to do this is by using this printable chart divided into sections your child can cross off as they clean.
Another idea is to use the number game. Instead of telling your child to pick up all their toys you can say "Can you pick up 5 toys?" Once they pick up 5 toys ask them to pick up 9 toys and so on until they are all cleaned up. Picking up a certain number of toys is a lot more manageable to a child than picking them ALL up. This is also great learning experience for kids
Less is More
If the above ideas still seem too overwhelming for your child then it may be because she has too many toys. A while back, as I was watching the girls play in their bedroom, I noticed that while most (if not all) of their toys ended up on the floor, they only played with a small percentage of them. I decided to pack up the kids' toys. I let the girls keep a handful of their favorite toys that they play with the most. The rest of the toys were packed into diaper boxes and shoe boxes and stored on the top shelf in their closet. The girls are only allowed to have one box down at a time and they can not have another one until the contents of that box are all put back. Sometimes they will ask for 2 or three boxes throughout the day but most of the time they are content with one box for the entire day.
Reward your child
Whether you decide to give your child an allowance, a special treat, t.v./computer time or just a simple "Good job" followed up with a high five. Kids need to know that their hard work does not go unnoticed.
Check out this page for a list of chores your child can do between the ages of 18 months to 7 years.
I'm not going to lie. Up until recently, my girls did not help out with many chores around the house. I was one of those parents that found it easier to just do everything myself.
Boy was I wrong. Ever since I started giving my 2 and 4 year old chores to do, things have been much easier. Not only do I spend less time doing chores myself but I have also noticed a significant decrease in arguments and temper tantrums.
A few things you have to remember when introducing young kids to chores are
Break things up
Telling your child to clean their room may seem like a simple task to you but to a child it can be a little overwhelming. By breaking the task up into smaller, more manageable tasks, you child won't feel so overwhelmed and will be able to clean their room all by themselves. A few ways to do this is by using this printable chart divided into sections your child can cross off as they clean.
Another idea is to use the number game. Instead of telling your child to pick up all their toys you can say "Can you pick up 5 toys?" Once they pick up 5 toys ask them to pick up 9 toys and so on until they are all cleaned up. Picking up a certain number of toys is a lot more manageable to a child than picking them ALL up. This is also great learning experience for kids
Less is More
If the above ideas still seem too overwhelming for your child then it may be because she has too many toys. A while back, as I was watching the girls play in their bedroom, I noticed that while most (if not all) of their toys ended up on the floor, they only played with a small percentage of them. I decided to pack up the kids' toys. I let the girls keep a handful of their favorite toys that they play with the most. The rest of the toys were packed into diaper boxes and shoe boxes and stored on the top shelf in their closet. The girls are only allowed to have one box down at a time and they can not have another one until the contents of that box are all put back. Sometimes they will ask for 2 or three boxes throughout the day but most of the time they are content with one box for the entire day.
Make it fun
My girls don't view their chores as work because to them they are games. A few ways that you can turn chores into a game...- Play music and encourage your kids to dance while doing their chores.
- Set a timer and have a race to see who can finish first.
- Add a basketball hoop over the clothes hamper, toy box, or trash can.
- Get excited! As long as you show your kids how fun chores are, they will believe they are fun.
Reward your child
Whether you decide to give your child an allowance, a special treat, t.v./computer time or just a simple "Good job" followed up with a high five. Kids need to know that their hard work does not go unnoticed.
Check out this page for a list of chores your child can do between the ages of 18 months to 7 years.
Click HERE for more fun kid ideas.
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