Getting a child to clean up is a tough job and as a parent you would know it all too well. Children love to make a mess, and while it is good for their development, the onus of tidying up often falls on either the mum or the dad.
In fact, according to a survey by ClosetMaid, an average parent has to tidy up after their kid about 28 times a week! Which brings us to the question: should you then teach your children to pick up after themselves?
Your answer is probably a resounding ‘Yes,’ but also ‘How!’
Well, this mum found an innovative way to make her four-year-old pick up his toys and also learn a bit of math in the process. She took to Reddit to share how a simple math activity did the trick.
Child Doing Chores Made Easy, Thanks To This Mum’s Genius Idea!
Screengrab: Reddit
The user shared how her kid usually struggled to pick up his toys and always felt unmotivated.
“I tried all my usual tricks. I suggested he pick things up one category at a time. But he was still just really overwhelmed,” said the mum. But, nothing worked and the kid seemed disinterested.
It was then that the mum thought of another idea and voila! it worked!
“So I told him to go find 5 things and put them away then to come back. He put 5 things away and came back. I told him to pick 4 things to put away. We repeated this until everything was cleaned up. It worked! And bonus points for adding a simple math activity to our day,” she wrote.
This simple trick earned praises from other users, who also found her idea useful to make their child do the chores.
What Other Mums Thought Of This Exercise
“Nice Idea”
One user wrote, “Nice! I’m using this. Getting the girls (2.5 & 6) to clean their rooms is a chore in of itself.” Another mum agreed, “Super nice idea! I love it 🙂 simple and effective, all we like!!”
While another parent shared, “Yeah! I use all kinds of different tactics. I ordered some big dice so we can roll the dice to see how many items we have to pick up next.”
So, her idea was to not let her child drag his feet about doing household chores. Instead, she inspired him and turned a dull routine enjoyable and entertaining. You can too.
Child Doing Chores: 4 Ways It Benefits Children
Image courtesy: istockphoto
Making children help with chores is a debatable topic in most households. While many parents want to preserve childhood by letting the “kids be kids” and giving them plenty of playtime. There are others who feel that allotting the work to their kid would be time-consuming and instead, they prefer to finish it as quickly and efficiently as possible.
While, these arguments do make sense, but they are can overlook the many positive benefits of a child doing chores.
Chores teach teamwork: When your child is attempting a chore with you, they experience teamwork. Just like a team, here members are also accountable for not doing their work. Learning this skill at home can be quite helpful and you will be surprised that your little one has developed strong teamwork skills when he/she grows up.
Chores help teach great life skills: Knowing how to do laundry, cooking, and budgeting is something that they will not learn from schools. But, it is something that will come in handy when they grow up. Helping them learn these basic life skills can make them become independent and confident.
Kids learn responsibility: When you assign your child regular chores you are teaching them responsibility. For instance, after they are done eating, they should leave their plates in the kitchen and not on the table. Also, once they are done with playing, make it a rule that they can’ leave their toys scattered across the room. Such tasks will also help them become more self-reliant.
Chores help to understand gratification =: You can tie chores to a reward, for instance, a good meal or TV time. This will not only motivate them to work, but they will look forward. The idea is not to bribe your child but to appreciate them for their effort.
If you are struggling to get your child doing chores, here are some tips to get you started.
Read: Chore Chart For Kids: Here’s How You Can Make Household Tasks Fun And Innovative
5 Tips To Motivate Your Child In Doing Chores
Image courtesy: istockphoto
1. Make it a family bonding time
You can make chore time fun for your kid by getting your hands dirty at the same time. It will boost your kid’s morale when they see their parents also joining in.
Don’t make it sound like a task they have to complete. Instead, turn it into a fun activity. Play your kid’s favourite tune, while the entire family makes the exercise a big ol’ dance party.
2. Give your kids open options
Chores can feel like punishment when you impose your rules with them. Instead, keep it open ended and give your kids the liberty to make their choices. You can let your child choose their preferred chore within the parameters you set. For instance, you can do the room or water the plants- which one would you want to do today?
This will gradually give them a sense of ownership of their ‘domain.’
3. Keep it small
It is very important that you are realistic in your expectations. Always give them small tasks and let them attain perfection in it first. Don’t expect them to finish the task as you normally would. That’s not possible!
Set small goals and then make them work towards them. For instance, if you see their entire room dirty ask them to pick up the toys and then take a 10 minutes break. After they return, ask them to pick up their clothes and put them in the laundry bag one by one. The task may take time, but your kids will eventually complete it.
4. Make it challenging
You need to introduce new challenges to keep their excitement levels up. They can’t be doing the same chores again and again. For instance, if they are already used to cleaning the room, you can ask them to help you in the kitchen or give them some gardening activity.
5. Keep it fun
Remember, kids love surprises. So, you can try a lottery system and if your child’s preferred pic doesn’t come, you let them try again. Always infuse some fun with chores so as not to make them boring and kill joy. Plus, such games help them feel more empowered as they get to choose whether or not they want to do a chore or not that day and if so, which one.
While your kids may be initially reluctant to do any chores (and that’s understandable), a little effort from your end can motivate them.
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4 Helpful Tips For Parents To Motivate Kids To Do Chores