As much as both kids and adults dislike doing them, chores will always be an inevitable part of life. No amount of sighing, finger-pointing, and denying will make the errands go away. Dishes will pile up, beds will need to be made, and the reliable electrician needs to be called for the regular maintenance of house wiring. You can only postpone and ignore their existence before they encroach on your living space, announcing their presence. Going down this route might even bring in more work, compared to doing them regularly.
Household chores, though, don’t have to be something horrible. Children and adults can learn a thing or two while doing them, especially in living an independent lifestyle. They’re a useful training exercise for when the kids move out and start their life. With them showing the significance of responsibility, chores provide insight on what it means to be part of a group and having a role to play. Being an active and productive member of society will sometimes have people fulfill menial and repetitive work.
Kids will be thankful to their parents for instilling these lessons and skills at a young age. They will be ahead of their peers who weren’t trained in the art of household chores. Parents are setting them up for a more successful life in the future. After all, much like chores, reaching your goals also needs repetitive and deliberate actions.
Here’s how parents can get their children to love doing house chores:
Use the time for bonding and connection
Younger children are attached to their parent’s hip. They want to spend as much time as possible, whether it’s role-playing that princess and dragons’ story or asking a never-ending stream of questions about the world. Parents can hit two birds with one stone by doing chores as a bonding activity. They can also spark their children’s imagination by turning the tasks into the game. Picking up toys can be a speed race or a make-believe story about helping the dolls and action figures find their home. For older kids, parents can ask about what happened during their day while washing dishes or wiping the kitchen counters.
Give out rewards
The task doesn’t have to be exciting or fulfilling if there is a prize at the end. Children will be more motivated to get chores done when there are rewards at stake. It doesn’t even have to be an expensive toy or gadget. Parents can promise that the family will do a fun activity after the errand, such as getting their favorite ice cream or watching a fun movie on Netflix. The time can also be turned into a lesson that incentives do wonders for getting through activities one doesn’t want to do.
Praise their contribution
With a parent’s affirmation of a good job, kids will associate happy feelings with doing chores. They will repeat the action that their parents are delighted about. It is also better to teach them how to do things, instead of scolding their beginner’s hand at the errand. Doing the chores by yourself will always make you resent the household member not doing anything. As time passes, they will improve and know how to do the tasks the right way. Your future self will thank you for trusting your kids to do their chores.
Chores don’t have to be a necessary evil with the right mindset. It can be a learning opportunity for children to know about accountability and responsibility.