How to Encourage Your Child to do Household Chores
Nobody wants to do household chores. That’s why they are called ‘chores’. The only people who seem to like them are toddlers who want to imitate their parents by doing “grown up jobs“. And bless them, they cannot do a decent job.
I remember when Sops was little and would gladly swing a duster in the air to, “clean with mummy’. I don’t think she actually ever managed to wipe up any dust, but at least she tried.
Now that she is a tween she will gladly leave her dirty clothes on the floor, her dirty plates in the washing up bowl and her dirty school bag in the middle of the living room floor. I feel like I am spending my life nagging her to tidy up after herself. Children need to learn how to contribute to the household, so they learn key housekeeping skills. Also, they need to learn to live in community with others when they grow up. Nobody likes the university student who never helps clean and tidy the shared house. So how do we encourage our children to do household chores?
Making Household Chores Fun
I am a massive advocate of Mary Poppins’ philosophy, “in every job there is to be done, there is an element of fun, and if you find the fun, snap the job’s a game”. Sops and I try to apply it to our daily lives and we often clean the house to Disney music. I only wish I had the magical powers to click my fingers to tidy up the room.
If you have a toddler, you could try “The Mary Poppins Game“. That is, when it is time to tidy up they can clap their hands and you could pick up a toy and make it “fly” across the room into the toy box. Then you can clap you hands and they can pick up a toy and fly it into the toy box. You can both pretend it is magic. This teaches your child where their toys and books belong.
Alternatively, you can make it into a friendly competition on who can put most toys away the fastest. There is no need to give them a reward afterwards. The satisfaction of winning should be sufficient. However, if they do win, you can say, “oh never mind, maybe I will beat you tomorrow.” This tells them that you expect them to tidy up their toys the next day as well, and it is not just a one off event.
Top Tip
You can also make getting dressed a competition. I used to get dressed in my bedroom and Sops would get dressed in her bedroom and we would shout to each other across the house, “I’m getting my tee shirt on!” or “I am putting my second sock on!” Then I would shout, “darn it. You are just too fast”. This game is a good motivator.
Try to think of new games to play as they are doing chores. Be sure to change it around, as they may soon get bored of playing the same game every single day.
Practice with Toys
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There are a plethora of simple ‘cleaning’ toys available for your child to use. They can imitate you vacuuming the carpet or sweeping the floor with their own mini version of household appliances. This is a great way for your child to learn how to use the equipment, so when they are old enough to use the ‘big hoover’ they will know what to do straight away. Here are some suggestions on the best household toys to buy:
CASDON Replica Dyson Ball Vacuum Toy
If you have a Dyson Ball Vacuum Cleaner this would be a great toy for your child. This model has real suction at the foot and makes realistic noises. Your child will feel very grown up as they help you clean the carpets. They will get used to how to operate the machine and how it moves. This will help prepare them to use the ‘big vacuum cleaner’ when they are old enough.
Cardson Duluxe Henry Cleaning Trolley
This is a sweet multipurpose tool. It has a mop and bucket, brushes, a working handheld vacuum cleaner and pretend spray bottles. As it is a duplicate Henry model it has Henry’s gorgeous face on most of the equipment, which your child will adore. Cleaning days in your home will be super fun from now on. There is a Hetty model as well if your child wants a female cleaning kit.
Cardson Hetty Vacuum Cleaner Toy
If you own a Henry or Hetty Vacuum Cleaner, why not get a toy version for your child to match? This model has working suction to pick up some small pieces. It also has a removable debris drawer, so your child can throw away the debris once collected. It even has a wind-up cord like its grown-up counterpart. Hetty will be a wonderful addition to the family. There is also a toy Henry version as well.
Melissa & Doug Cleaning Caddy Set
This little play set is super versatile. It has a cloth, sponge, brush and even a rubber squeegee for windows and shower screens. The squirting bottle is refillable, so you could add water or soap and your child could play with it in the bath. There is even a checklist to show your child which tool to use for each job. This set will definitely teach your child key housekeeping skills.
COSTWAY Kids Wooden Play Kitchen
Do you find cooking a chore? Many parents do, and they sometimes struggle to entertain their child as they try to cook dinner. So why not consider giving your child this stylish toy kitchen complete with an oven, stove, and a tap? It even makes those clicking noises when trying to turn on the gas. So whilst you are busy cooking for the family your child can prepare dinner for their dolls and teddy bears.
CARLORBO Wooden Cutting Play Food set
If your child is going to have a kitchen set they will need food to cook. This set is brilliant. There is Velcro in between the pieces so children can safely cut the vegetables with a toy knife. It also comes with a chopping board and toy vegetable peeler. With this kit your child can learn to identify types of vegetables, as well as how to cut them safely. Sops had a similar set when she was young and she loved playing with it and making soup for her toys.
Earning Pocket Money
Should children earn pocket money for doing chores? There are two schools of thought on this hot topic:
1. Chores need to be done for a smooth running of a household. Children need to contribute to this and not expect to be paid. After all, no one is paying the parents for washing clothes and cooking the dinner.
2. Children cannot earn money yet. There are squillions of laws regarding child labour, and it is hard for a child to get so much as a paper round these days. How are they going to learn that money comes to those who work for it if they are not given the chance to earn money? So some parents will only pay pocket money to their child once their child has completed their chores.
Courtesy of Jordan Rowland
There is no wrong or right answer here. Both ideas have merits. It is up to the parents to decide what will work for their child. You need to know your child well and what you want them to learn. It is also important for your child to develop a balanced attitude towards work and money and living in community.
For example, if you pay your child for each chore they complete to motivate them, they may be motivated for the wrong reasons and they may believe they can manipulate you out of money. Also, once they have grown up and live in shared accommodation they may not contribute to the household work if they are not being paid for it.
On the other hand, if you expect your child to do a few chores around the house regularly, but you do not give them any money, reward or recognition, they may not continue to do the tasks as they do not see what is in it for them. A child genuinely doesn’t care if they wear the same stinky pants for a whole week. A messy, dirty house will not bother them as much as it bothers you.
However, if you feel your child is behaving like a spoiled brat and treating you like their personal servant check out our guide on How to Unspoil your child
The Solution
- Create a chore chart for them. This chart is for the jobs you expect them to do because they are a member of the household and they need to contribute to the smooth running of the home. Once they have completed their chores say a simple, “thank you” and leave it at that. Be sure to include a consequence if they do not carry out their chores, e.g. they cannot go out to play with their friends or have time on their games console.
2. Create an additional chore chart with ‘paid’ chores on it. These can be extra chores they can choose to do at a price, such as cleaning the car or mowing the lawn. However, they can only do these extra paid jobs once they have completed their essentials chores.
Comments
I hope this guide has given you some ideas on how to encourage your child to contribute to the household. Do you have any fun games that you play to motivate your child? Please do share them in the comments box below.
