Make Chores Fun For Kids: Toddlers to Teens Can Lend a Hand

To help start your child out, give them small tasks that can be completed with ease. Toddlers enjoy helping around the house. Have them put their toys in the toy box or dirty clothes in the hamper. Do it with them the first few times to show them how. A game can even be made out of it: Who can pick up the most toys or toss the clothes into the hamper and get a point for each? Before long, they will be picking up arm loads, and maybe even yours.

For bigger projects like cleaning the living room or family room, make it a family event. Have everyone help clean up the same room. Your child will enjoy this and want to participate in what you are all doing. This will also help your child gain teamwork skills. Add a little fun into chore time, and your child will see it is not a punishment, but that it can be fun to help out.

For older children, getting them to help out can be a little harder. They really wouldn't be interested in how many points they can get with the clothes hamper. At this point, an allowance may come into the picture. It does not have to be a large amount of money, just a few dollars a week to start out. Also, don't give allowance for every chore. Cleaning there room should be something done without pay. It is there room, they sleep there and it is there stuff. Your kids should want to take care of there things.

However, larger tasks like mowing the lawn, cleaning the kitchen, and taking out the garbage, would deserve a few bucks a week.

If you have more than one child, be sure the chores are divided up fairly. One child mowing the lawn, and taking out the trash might not be too happy that his/her sibling only had to put the dishes away. Children will be more apt to doing there chores, if they are divided up fairly, and they don't feel like they have to do all the hard work.

Doing chores will never be the funnest thing to do, but the bottom line is that there are many household chores that need to be done daily, and there is no reason toddles, children, and teens can not help out. They will learn it is easier to clean up a mess when they are done playing, rather than waiting and being told to do it latter.