Motivate Your Children To Help With Household Chores

Getting your children to help with household chores does not just keep your home cleaner. It also teaches them values ​​and skills that will serve them well in the future.

Motivating children to help with household chores is a challenge that parents encounter every day. Often, parents choose to arrange all the household chores themselves so that they avoid conflicts with their children.

However, helping with household chores can be a useful tool for teaching children important values ​​and skills.

Benefits for children by helping with household chores

According to philosopher and educational science expert Joseph Knobel, it is very important to get children to help with household chores. The reason for this is:  these are the first forms of responsibility they will encounter in their lives. 

Getting your children to help with the chores at home is not just about keeping a clean and tidy home. It is about  teaching them values ​​and skills that will help them as they get older. 

• Responsibility. Despite the fact that they probably do not enjoy doing housework, children will feel more responsible once they have successfully completed a duty. This feeling of satisfaction can be very pleasant.
• Negotiating skills. They will learn how to express their ideas, communicate clearly and try to reach agreement.

• Teamwork. Children learn that sometimes you have to work with others to achieve a goal.
• Sensitivity and empathy. When children help with household chores, they learn and understand how difficult it can be to maintain a clean home.
• Independent. By helping in the house, they will learn how to effectively perform the duties in the future.

According to bestselling author Dan Pink, it is a good thing for children to help with household chores because it shows them that families are based on shared responsibilities. They also learn that family members need to help each other. 

5 ways you can motivate your children to help with household chores

Start the duty with them

One of the most common mistakes that parents make is to expect their children to know how to do housework. This can either be because the tasks are simple, or because they think the children have learned them by watching them be performed.

Many times, children need their parents to teach them how to do before they can start helping with duties. 

For example, it may seem like a simple task to start picking up toys. However, your child may not know where to put it, so it is properly packed away. It can create frustration and it can make the child give up.

Therefore, instead of scolding your children, ask if they need help. The trick is to help them begin the task and then gradually let them complete it. 

2. Everyone needs to have a responsibility

One of the most important aspects of teaching children to perform duties is the  division of responsibilities among family members. 

In other words, children should understand that  all members of the family have their own responsibilities. These depend on the abilities of each member, of course.

It is important to give children appropriate tasks. For example, choosing a task that is too difficult for the child’s age can lead to frustration. Conversely, too easy a task can lead to boredom.

Let them gradually grow independent

Just like with a company where the boss does not listen to the input of his employees or values ​​their independence, the same can happen in a family environment.

It is essential to give children the opportunity to express their opinions. Allowing them to say what they think will foster self-confidence. Little by little, it will shape their sense of self-sufficiency.

As they feel more autonomous and independent, children will become more motivated  to take care of household chores and make them more efficient.

4. Teamwork

When you want your children to help, make sure it coincides with a time when all family members help around the house.

Your children will feel like they are part of something. Moreover,  by working together as a team with the family, they will feel more motivated to contribute. Finally, by working together, you will make sure that the work is done correctly.

5. Make it another good habit to help with household chores

From an early age, teach your children the importance of helping at home. Little by little, the children will take on their responsibilities as a normal part of life. Sooner or later, it will become a habit.

If you set aside a weekly time to organize and clean your home,  you will build a family habit together. 

That way, your children will understand that it is necessary to help with household chores. Ultimately, they will see it as part of a normal routine. Seeing each family member contribute to the proper maintenance of the home reinforces this.

It brings your family closer together

Finally, involving your children in household chores can also build strong family ties. Assigning tasks and responsibilities can ease family burdens and tensions. This leads to less stress in the family.

In short, if we motivate our children to help with household chores, they will feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves. At the same time, they will  learn valuable skills for the future.