Kids need to help around the house. Not only does it make running a home a lot easier, but it helps to teach them how to be responsible, have discipline over their time, and ultimately, knowing how to clean up after yourself is a great life skill. However, convincing kids to do their chores is easier said than done! That’s why they need to become a normal part of their routine; here are some tips for making that happen.

Congratulate Them on a Job Well Done

Sure, your kids aren’t always going to be praised after doing something well. As an adult, not receiving positive feedback is common, even though being told you’ve done things well is a great motivator at any age. But as a child, you should hear such things quite often! After all, the more you hear that you’re doing things right, the more initiative you’re going to take when it comes to tasks around the house. That’s a very good thing to encourage as a parent!

Make Them Fun

If chores are fun, the kids aren’t going to complain too much about getting them done. That’s why you should think about buying novelty shaped dish sponges and nice smelling soap for washing the dishes or doing the laundry. You can also let them put stickers on items like the dustpan and brush, allowing them to customize their tools to make them look great.

Or, if one of their tasks is to help with dinner, make sure you’re cooking something different at least twice a week. Pizza is one of the best meals for keeping kids focused and entertained, so show them a pizza dough recipe like this and then have a laugh rolling out the dough, throwing it in the air, and choosing the toppings.

Award a Monthly Prize

It’s not good to give your kids prizes every time they do something right – praise itself is good enough for that. But you can have a monthly prize available, based on things like an award and/or gold star chart. If they’ve collected enough ticks or stars over the course of the month, they get something they’ve been wanting, or they get to go on a day out outside of school time. However, be sure to keep food rewards off of the list; you don’t want your kids thinking that nice food is only for special occasions!

Remember, it Doesn’t Have to Be Done Perfectly

Kids are going to make mistakes, and do things poorly from time to time. However, the chores you’ve assigned have still been done, haven’t they? That’s a good thing! Make sure you recognise that they’ve still contributed, while also letting them know how to do it better next time. Constructive criticism will always be received better this way.

Chores should be a normal part of growing up. Assign them according to age, but make sure everyone in your house has something to do at least once a week!