How to Get Kids to Do Chores
If you’re wondering how to get your kids to do chores, you’ve come to the right place.
You’re exhausted and your house is a mess, you know what you need to get done but looking at the growing pile of toys and laundry just gets you overwhelmed. You just want to crawl under a bed and not come out, but you know that won’t make the piles get smaller.
So you start attacking the huge pile of laundry only to find your toddler as got into the kitchen cupboards and found her cereal that she dumped onto the floor and is currently eating off of it.
You hurry to pick her up because you can’t remember the last time you cleaned the floors, that can’t be good. Well, all of those little people in your house, they can be taught to help you and alleviate some of that stress. To clean up their own mess and to help you out when you need it.
I also like to have tools on hand that make it a breeze to clean up, if you have pets and a ton of mess the Dyson Ball Animal 2 can be a dream come true.
Grab the printable chore cards at the end of the post to get your kids on the right track.
Do you want to see more printables like this? Make sure to check this list of Chore Charts for Kids!
Start early
If you take the time while they’re young to show them how to do chores, it will pay off later. It may be faster to do it yourself, but getting your child involved can be blessing. They’re so eager to help when they’re young, you might as well take advantage of it. There are chores that toddlers can do like pick up their toys, put their own shoes away, or help feed a pet. It may not done perfectly, but you’re instilling a work ethic into their routine.
Make it a routine
You have to stay consistent, if you only do it once or twice and then forget for one week, your child won’t get into the habit of completing their chores. It’s one thing to get them to do it a couple of times, but to form a habit, you need to continue to work on it daily.
Make it easy
That means having things at levels that your child can reach, if they’re responsible for sweeping the floors, I love those child size brooms and dustpans. It’s hard for them to maneuver the full sized broom, so this makes it very accessible to them.
This means I have a light-weight vacuum that the kids can use too, a Dyson Ball Animal 2. Their job is to vacuum the main floor every night. Our dog spends the majority of her time here so her black fur can be seen everywhere especially when she’s shedding.
It was a bit intimidating when we opened the box to our new vacuum but my son was on it. There was one card for a quick set up guide and he used it to put the vacuum together himself.
My daughter assisted and passed him all of the parts he needed. My guy loves building things so I could technically call this school for him right?
When you have all of the tools ready to go then you’re more willing to have the kids help rather than doing it yourself. If you want them to help you clean the floors or windows, have the sponges, clothes and cleaning solutions in a place they can access and teach them how to use it correctly.
We do the majority of our cleaning with water, vinegar and a few drops of essential oils, except for the washroom. There I have my older kids clean it and ensure they’re doing it right before I let them go solo.
Make it a game
Make it a race to see who can put all of the toys away first, turn on a song that only comes on for clean up time and then have the finish a job before the music ends.
Have the kids race each other, designate a zone for each child and see who can clean up their side first. I’ve like this one because no one complains who has to do what and they have to stick to their own side.
Add a reward system
When you have a system in place to have your kids complete their chores on their own, then they’ll be glad to help you out. I have a friend who uses a chart and when they get a sticker for the jobs they complete.
For every 10 stickers completed, they get a small gift, it may be a Happy Meal, or a small gift out of the prize box that is filled with stickers and small toys.
You know what will motivate your kids, find a system that everyone is on board with and be consistent it.
With our new Dyson Ball Animal 2, our kids now fight over who gets to vacuum the rugs. An argument I don’t mind them having. It’s so light-weight that my daughter can use it too. The suction is intense and much stronger than our old vacuum.
Disclosure: I am part of the PTPA Brand Ambassador Program with Dyson and I received Compensation as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.
More Help with Chores
