Raising a family can be overwhelming, especially if you are a working parent. Things can get really exhausting at times, especially if you have deadlines to meet and kids to take care of. Some couples try their best to follow a schedule to ensure that everything gets well taken cared of. However, there are still moments when you will still find it too difficult to squeeze in time for everything. Most parents even end up sacrificing their me-time to fulfill their tasks at work and home. If you want to stop this dilemma, you need to learn how to ask for help. For starters, you can start training your kids to perform household chores.
Some parents think that they need to do everything at home, especially if their kids are too young to help them. However, if you want to have an ideal balance between work, family, and personal life, you need to teach them about responsibilities. This means you need to start raising smart, hardworking, and independent kids. With this, you will be able to get the support you need at home. At the same time, you can help prepare your kids to become responsible people growing up.
Practical Ways to Teach Kids Help with Household Chores
Kids definitely love playing or doing other things they find enjoyable. No wonder some parents think that teaching them to help with household chores will be a hopeless attempt. However, if you really want to manage your home properly, you will need all family members’ help, including your children. The process may be difficult at first, but as long as you stay consistent, your kids will slowly learn how to perform simple tasks. The key is to find a way to motivate and convince them that cleaning and maintaining your property is fun and enjoyable. To help you with this, here are a few recommendations that you may consider:
- Introduce the concept of cleaning as a challenge—Kids love playing games, so if you want them to help at home, teach them to see chores as game challenges. For instance, you can challenge siblings to make their bed every time they wake up. You can also ask them who is capable of organizing their books or toys. With this, your kids will see simple tasks as a challenge that they need to conquer to win the game.
- Set realistic expectations—Make sure that you assign household chores accordingly. This means you need to check what particular tasks are ideal depending on your child’s age. For example, children 3-year-old kids can help put clothes on the laundry basket. Five-year-olds can make their bed or help water the plants in the garden. Older children can help fold laundry or clean the bathroom. The key is to guide each of them about how to perform each task properly. Let them know what a job well-done means after each chore. With this, they will grow up performing tasks the right way.
- Teach them to build and follow a routine—Introduce a scheduling system where they follow a daily to-do list. This includes waking up, brushing their teeth, eating breakfast, doing school work, and performing chores. The goal here is to teach them the importance of organizing and dividing their time wisely. With this, they will learn why it’s crucial to follow a strict routine, especially if they want to fulfill many tasks in a day.
Allowing your kids to help you maintain your home can also become an opportunity for quality time at home. If more people are involved in keeping the house clean and organized, everyone will have more free time. With this, you will be able to enjoy family time without stressing over pending household chores. Of course, for major issues, you still need to perform tasks on your own. However, you have the option to hire experts such as roofing contractors or providers for plumbing services. If your kids can perform simple tasks, you don’t have to worry about the easy jobs you need to fulfill at home. They can already handle it on their own as long as you provide them with proper guidance.
Teaching kids how to perform household chores may seem like it only benefits the parents. Of course, you will definitely have more free time if they can assist you with cleaning and maintaining the house. However, you need to understand that teaching your children how to take care of your house will also help them learn valuable virtues, knowledge, and experience. They will also develop useful skills they can use in the real world or when they become adults.
