In our house if you are old enough to make a mess you are old enough to help clear it up but let’s face it; most kids, actually make that “most people”, frown on doing chores. If your children fall into this group, you know how hard it can be to get them motivated to get things done. Making chores fun is one way to get results. Here are a few suggestions to get you started.
Use a Chore Chart
Chore charts bring structure to doing housework and help to reinforce the habit of doing chores in your kids. When your kids follow a chore chart, they don’t even need to ask what needs to be done to get started.
Unfortunately, the novelty of using a chore chart can wear off after a while, losing its motivational value. Keep things fresh by helping your kids design a new chore chart every month. To make it a bit more fun, give a small reward as a prize to whoever does the most chores throughout the week without being reminded.
Break It Down
If you want your kids to tidy their room the job as a whole can feel overwhelming. Break it down into smaller tasks such as picking up all of the Lego, making your bed, and putting books back on the shelves. We make a list of taks and ticking them off when the task s finished gives our little ones a sense of accomplishment that keeps them going onto the next item.
Work Together
Chores are much less tedious if you have someone around to keep you company while you work. Have the whole family do their chores together at the same time, rather than on their own schedule. If everyone works together, the task of getting everything done seems much less overwhelming. Plus, being able to talk to each other while you clean will make the time go by much quicker.
Make Things Challenging
To keep a particular task from becoming too monotonous, you can challenge yourself or your family to do it more in a more difficult way than you usually would. For example, see if anyone in the house can vacuum while hopping on one leg, or get all their laundry folded while blindfolded. While it may not actually get the work done any faster, adding these challenges to your chores helps to keep doing them fun.
Let Me Tell You A Story Around
If you’re having trouble getting your kids to pick up their toys, try turning clean up into a scavenger hunt. Hide notes among their toys for them to find when they tidy up. These notes can form parts of a story and they have to tidy away all of their toys to hear the entire tale.
The added fun of finding treasures is sure to get them excited about working. Just make sure that you keep an eye on them while they’re cleaning, to make sure that they’re actually putting the toys away and not just shuffling around for the rewards.
Take Breaks
Working for too long can make even the simplest task seem like a nightmare. If you or the kids are getting restless while trying to complete your chores, take a break and do something fun for a few minutes. While it may not seem like the best way to get the job done, taking some time to unwind will help you get through the task quicker and with less stress.
These are just a few easy ways to make chores fun. With a little creativity, it doesn’t have to be monotonous at all. Take it one step further and ask your kids for suggestions as well. Some of what they come up with might surprise you.
