My boys (8 and 10) have individual lists of chores they should complete each day and others they can complete over the course of the week. Sometimes getting them to do the chores is a real chore in itself, so here are some things we’ve tried and/or will try to make them more enticing!
Some of these recommendations come from Scholastic.com and GoHenry.com.
- Turn on your family’s favorite radio station, streaming channel, or soundtrack and crank it up while you all tackle a specific area in your home. Add a dance challenge for extra exercise!
- Switch this up by putting on a podcast or audio book so everyone can learn something new while they clean.
- Hide special treats for your younger kiddo to find while they pick up or dust a room. These can include treats, stickers, or even coins they can add to their piggy bank.
- Make chores age-relevant for greater skill development. Here are some suggestions from WebMD.com.
- Turn socks into dust mitts! This is a great use of strays and single-socks-seeking-mates. Spray a little water or surface-cleaner onto the mitt and let kids dance around while they clean.
- Make cleaning up a scavenger hunt! Set a timer and make a list of several things your kids need to find and put away (or bring to a central location as a means of picking them up), like food wrappers, ripped paper or old coloring pages, broken toys, discarded clothes or shoes, etc.
- Assign a room and length of time to each value on a pair of dice. Whatever your kiddo rolls is the space they’re responsible for and the amount of time they need to spend there. For example, two dots on one means the living room, four dots on the other (perhaps times two) means eight minutes spent cleaning.
- If your older child likes checking off a list, print off a fresh to-do list each week and let them mark when a chore is completed. This also encourages personal accountability and honesty.
- If you aren’t ready or able to pay your child(ren) real money, cut up “Mom Bucks” (or similar) kids can earn for their hard work. They can redeem them for a special treat at home or out, extra time with a parent or grandparent, or a fun experience at the end of the week.
- Not all kids are paid for doing chores, but we do at a low level. While contributing to the household is a natural obligation, the opportunity to learn how to save and spend responsibly is important, even at a young age. (You do you!)