Kids and Chores

The above article was borrowed from: http://www.parent.net/article/archive/chores.shtml

Assigning children household chores is one of the best ways to build self-esteem and a feeling of competence. Regular chores establish helpful habits and good attitudes about work. Having chores also teaches valuable lessons about life and creates an understanding that there are jobs that must be done to run a household. Children who grow up perceiving chores as a normal part of life will find the flow into adulthood much easier than those without responsibility will.

Choose the right chores: Choose age appropriate jobs for children based on their physical and mental abilities. Most parents underestimate their children's abilities in this area. Keep in mind that a child who has mastered a complicated computer game can easily run the dishwasher! Preschoolers can handle one or two simple daily jobs. Older children can manage two or three daily jobs along with one or two weekly jobs. (See the suggested list at the end of this article.)

Take time for training. Don't assume that since your child has seen you do the task that she can do it herself. Be very specific in your instruction and demonstrate step-by-step as your child watches. The next step is to let your child help you, followed by your child doing the chore as you supervise. At the point you feel that your child has mastered the job she can take over responsibility for it.

Write it down: Children need a visual daily reminder to keep them on track doing chores. (This compares to your need for a daily planner sheet or to-do list.) A chore chart on which a child can make daily check marks is one helpful technique. An alternative is to use a pegboard made for hanging keys as a holder for tags that list a daily chore on each one. A child can flip the tags over as she completes each daily chore. At the end of the day, a parent can check for any open tags and have the child finish up before getting ready for bed.

First things first: Use the "when/then" technique. As an example, "When the pets are fed, then you may have your dinner." As a quiet reminder, the child's dinner plate can be left upside down, which means: "Run and feed the pets, then you can eat!" Other when/then routine suggestions are: "When your homework is done, then you can play outside." "When your pajamas are on and teeth brushed, then we will read a book." What makes this idea work best is when you follow the when/then rule every day.

Be specific: Be very specific in your instructions. As an example, "clean your room" is vague and can be interpreted in any number of ways. Instead, be explicit by saying, "Put your clothes in the closet, books on the shelf, dishes in the kitchen and toys in the toy box."

Bonus Day! Once in a while, just for fun, have a "Coin Collection Day." Prior to having your child complete her chores, hide pennies, nickels, or dimes around the house under the items that need to be cleaned. When all the chores are done to your satisfaction, the child gets to keep the bonus!