What You Can Do to Help Curb Laziness in a Child

Children often learn good and bad habits from their parents of role models. This is not to say that a child may become lazy because of something that you have done but because a lot of parents have let this get out of control. You may not be aware of how your child's daily routines may play a role in how they deal with the clutter or their cleanliness around the house.

I often have to go back into my children's room to check it once they have attempted to clean it. I have made it a rule to always check under the beds, in the closet floor, and in the dresser drawers to make sure that everything is put up where it is suppose to be.

I didn't always have this problem, in fact, my children use to be pretty clean kids when it came to picking up after themselves. I never realized how out of control it had gotten until one day our oldest child walked by the kitchen table and knocked a cup off of the table and walked away. I told him to get back there and clean up the mess. What happened next came as a real shocker and a wake up call. He told me that he shouldn't have to pick it up because it wasn't his and he did not leave it there. I explained to him that just because it wasn't his, did not make it right for him to not pick it up.

I couldn't believe that this had just happened. I took another look at what my children's lives had become and how much they really helped me out around the house. I was not about to let them become the children that everyone talks about when behind their parents back.

I made a decision right then, I was going to put a stop to all of this nonsense. I was going to make them start cleaning again.

I made a list of chores that they all had to do before they could go outside and play. Each chore had to be done and checked by me before they were able to play. I didn't give them so many chores that it would be dark before they went outside, just enough so that they would have to take part in helping the family out. I had a lot of arguments at first but I stuck with it and it payed off.