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While young children like preschoolers enjoy working alongside their parents, older kids tend to shun anything associated with chores. Here are some useful tips for parents to turn household chores a little more bearable and appealing to tweens and teens.
Offer Task Choices
Kids, like adults, are likely to pick jobs that they like or are confident in doing well. Whenever practical, present a list of chores and allow kids to choose. They’re also more likely to complete chores if they can choose them.
Rotate Household Chores
There are bound to be chores that kids avoid like the plague. Unfortunately, these chores need to be completed too. The solution is to rotate unpopular household chores. The conventional chore roster will just be a simple piece of paper with a list of chores and the names of the kids assigned to them. Make sure everyone has a turn to do these.
To add some fun elements in assigning chores, turn it into a game with the “Wheel of Chores”. Cut out a circle from a big piece of cardboard. Divide the circle into pie-shaped wedges – one for each chore. Then attach an arrow with a paper fastener. Have each family member take a spin to see what fate lies ahead.
Provide Task Reminders
Most tweens and teens won’t jump at the chance of doing housework. Therefore, parents will have to constantly, gently but firmly remind them of their duties at home. Grose stresses that consequences are more effective than nagging to teach kids about carrying out their chores. For instance, serve dinner even if the table has not been set. Forks and knives will somehow quickly find their way to the table if there are hungry kids in the house!
Avoid Overloading Kids with Chores
Kids need their own time for their own activities too. While housework is a good tool to foster discipline, responsibility, teamwork and independence, too much of it will only result in confusion and resentment. Assign household chores to kids with discretion and loads of common sense.
Did you know that it is okay for kids to be bored? See why here!
Setting Examples of Helping
It’s easy to get help when help is freely offered. So how about giving the child a hand while she is doing her chores? Parents who set examples of helping are showing kids that helping one another is a normal part of family life. That way, kids are more willing to help at home.
We love our Printable Visual Chore Chart!
Getting older children to do household chores can be tricky. So make housework more tolerable by offering task choices, rotating household chores, providing task reminders, avoiding overloading kids with chores and setting examples of helping.
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