Household Chores -- Get Your Kids to Help

If you have young children, chances are you have grown accustomed to seeing toys strewn about, empty cups on the table, and dirty clothes on the floor instead of in the hamper. You are probably used to seeing empty snack food wrappers and napkins on the counter. It is not uncommon to see extra pillows and blankets and stuffed animals in the living room. And, if you are like many parents, you are the one who ends up dealing with most of this extra mess.

Perhaps you tell yourself that it is easier if you just clean up. After all, it would take longer to get your young kids to help out, right? Wrong-not if you set up a chore system for your kids.

Yes, even young kids can be responsible for daily chores. In fact, it is actually a good idea to start kids out doing chores when they are young because that way they become used to doing them and it isn't a battle when they get older. (Now, I'm not promising that you won't have to nag your kids when they get older-only that chores will be an accepted part of their lives.)

So, when can you start your children doing chores? You can begin assigning chores as soon as your children are old enough to follow basic directions. This means that as soon as your kids understand when you tell them that their toys belong in the toy box, for example, they are old enough to help out. Of course, at this young age they do need a lot of guidance and assistance, but it is important to have them begin helping-if your children see that Mommy will pick up all of their toys, they will start to think that Mommy is supposed to pick up their toys.

The best way to get children to begin doing chores is to give them motivation to do so. I have found that a simple chart works wonders in doing this. You can make one yourself-it doesn't have to be fancy or difficult. Take a blank sheet of paper and make several boxes in rows. Then, each time your child completes a chore, he can put a sticker in one of the boxes-and, after he gets a certain number of stickers (or after he completes a row of boxes), he gets a special treat. The treat can be anything from extra playtime with Mommy, a trip to the park, making cookies, or anything your child likes.