Children hate chores, and this is because they not only see them as boring or as a punishment but also because they have a million other things that they would rather be doing. However, it is important for a parent to ensure that they involve kids in household chores and not just for the extra help but also because it teaches them some important virtues. It is not always easy to do this, but it is still doable.
Below are five great ideas that Charles of Mom Discuss advises you to motivate your kids to do some chores.
#1 Praise Your Kids
Yelling at kids because they did not complete a task as you would have like it is a bad move, and it will discourage them from doing it again because they do not know how you will react. Provided your children attempt to do something, and you can see that they put in some effort and willingness into doing it you should praise them. Praise your kid for the little progress even if you might have to do the same thing again as this will motivate them to do it again and better than the previous time.
#2 Withhold the Wi-Fi Password
Withholding the Wi-Fi password is one of the best motivations that you can give your children to complete their chores. The internet forms an integral part of the social life of modern day kids and so not being able to access it even for a couple of hours will make them do anything that you want. Make a list of the chores that the children should complete before you give out the password and also make sure that they understand they have to do things right to get the password. You will be surprised with just how fast the chores will be completed and done to perfection just for a few digits that enable them to access the internet.
#3 Give the Kids Some Autonomy
Bossiness does not always work with children of the 21st century, and so you should provide them with some autonomy and freedom when doing the chores. Avoid giving your kids very strict deadlines to complete certain tasks and instead, involve them when deciding the amount of time to allocate for various duties. Also, do not just stand there and watch them as they work or try to supervise them as this does not always end well. It is important to use a good tone and language when allocating chores to your kids such as “It would be very helpful if you did the dishes” instead of commanding them to do something. If they feel that you are bossy, they will only do the chore because you told them to and not because they want to do it or think it is right.
#4 Have a Reward System
A compensation scheme is the most efficient way of motivating your kids to do household chores. Let the children know that there will be something that they will get for helping out in the house. You should have a system of recording the chores that they complete and set a target. Once your kid reaches a certain preset target, you should reward them with a surprise gift or a treat. Making them know that they will lose something if they do not do their duties is also important as it will motivate them to work so that they do not go without the particular privilege.
#5 Never Use Chores as Punishment
Using duties to punish your kids when they do something wrong is not a good idea, and it will make them develop an attitude towards that task. For example, if you ask your kid to do the dishes every time they misbehave they will hate washing dishes, and it will be very hard to convince them to do it in good faith. There are many other ways that you can punish your kids but making them do regular tasks is not one of them. Instead of doing this, make things interesting by encouraging them with things like they will develop huge muscles if they vacuum the floor but this only works if they are still young enough to believe it.
Nobody would like to do any work without a form of motivation or reward, and children are not an exception. If you want your kids to develop a positive attitude towards chores and help out around the house, you should motivate them and also be patient with them. And with the five great ideas above in mind, this should not be a problem