One of the most common challenges that parents face is getting their children to do chores around the home. Kids can often do a poor job of sweeping the floors or feeding the dog each day due to a lack of motivation. If you’re looking for ways to get your kids to help out more and assist them with managing their responsibilities, there are a few incentives that you can offer.
1. Make it Playtime
Allowing your children to have fun while they complete the chores will make it easier for them to spend time working hard on the task. You can turn music on or make a song that everyone can sing to turn it into a game. Consider creating fun dance moves that your child can mimic while emptying the dishwasher or making their bed.
2. Pay Your Child
One of the best ways to get your child to develop a strong work ethic is to reward them with money. You can teach your kids the value of a dollar by paying them based on each chore that is completed. Create a chart that hangs on the refrigerator, which can list how much money they’ll earn for emptying the trash or vacuuming. You can place a piggy bank in their room where they can begin accumulating their money and saving for a toy or trip to the movies.
Apps are also available to build a chore list for your child where they can log into a website and check off tasks that they’ve completed. You can schedule a pay date when they’ll receive the money, which they can use to purchase gift cards, donate to a special cause, or cash out the money directly on the app.
3. Don’t Turn Chores Into a Punishment
Avoid turning chores into a form of punishment, which will get your kids to dread cleaning the home. They shouldn’t have to do the dishes as a form of punishment, which will make them feel unmotivated to do it on their own and as they mature. The punishment will cause them to view household work in a negative way and can make them feel forced instead of encouraged to help out around the home.
4. Plan an Upcoming Trip
You can motivate your little ones to complete different chores by planning an upcoming trip that will reward them for their hard work. Create a list of chores that they must complete if they want to take a trip to the movies or an amusement park. Each outing or activity will require that they complete various projects depending on the cost of the trip that is planned. You can also offer rewards that include video games, dolls, or sporting equipment that they can enjoy.
5. Create a Reward System
Create a reward system with a chart that is posted on the refrigerator and is easy to view for all of the family members. Write each child’s name in a different color with chores listed to make it easy for them to read what they need to get done during the week. Write a check mark next to their name each time that they make their bed correctly or clean up their room. You can reward each kid with an hour of computer or television time once they obtain five checkmarks.
When it comes to getting your children to become more responsible and mature, they’ll need to learn how to pick up after themselves and lend a helping hand with maintaining the home. By offering different incentives, they’ll become more excited to help fold laundry or set the kitchen table during the week.
Lizzie Weakley is a freelance writer from Columbus, Ohio. She went to college at The Ohio State University where she studied communications. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors and long walks in the park with her 3-year-old husky Snowball. If you are having trouble incentivizing your kids to do work around the house, Lizzie recommends looking into Busy Kid, a company that helps parents keep track of their kid’s chores online.
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