Chores Around The House

Is it just me, or do children seem to be born with an anti-work gene?  Every time you ask them to do chores, do you they complain, and argue with you to the point where you find yourself in a power struggle?   How can you get them to their chores without the screaming and actually want to do them?

In order to stop all the craziness that takes place during chore time your children need to want to work and need to take ownership of the work they do.  Younger children do not need to do a perfect job, as long as they give it a good effort.  For older children this is different, if the job needs to be re-done, then it was not done correctly the first time, therefore they are not giving their all in completing their assigned tasks.

It can be difficult to get a child to understand the difference between doing something just to get it done and doing something right.  It is a tough concept to explain to a child, and usually if they hear that something is not worth doing if you are not going to do it right the first time, they decide not to do it at all.  Therefore, starting off small and working up to more complicated chores is the best way to handle the situation.

It is important that all member in the family help out with the chores, and the chore process.  If someone needs help completed their chores then the rest of the family should lend them a hand.  A family is about helping each other out and counting on each other, and that is something that can be learned through the chore process. 

Chores should be distributed according to the child's age.  Do not expect your six year old to be able to complete the same chores as your ten year old.  A three year old may be given the chore of picking up the toys and putting them in the proper buckets, while your six year old may be in charge of feeding the dog. 

Then come the rewards!  Although many believe the feeling of a job well done and the accomplishment made by completing a task should be enough, this is not the fact with kids.  The older a child gets, their allowance should become a direct proportion to the work that they complete throughout the week.  Younger children, don't need money and will be just as happy with your smiling face and encouraging words, however a small amount of money (even a quarter) will make their day that much brighter.  But no matter what, saying good jog and thanks for the help is enough to make it all worthwhile.