How to get Your Kids Started with Chores
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Post by Danielle Youngblood for Maple
As a mom of a three year old and five year old, a few months ago I was finding myself constantly picking up after them. Whether it be toys, clothes or food— it felt like I was spending the majority of my “down time” tidying up. One day I finally reached the end of my rope with the clutter. I went through a phase of telling them that I was just going to donate their toys since they were not taking care of them. This was a concept that totally went over their little heads. I realized that now was a good time to start getting them to do some age-appropriate chores.
Instead of focusing on getting them to do chores and clean, instead focus on empowering your kids to help around the house and owning their own chores. Think about what needs to be done in the house that they could do. Keep it simple— they need to make their beds in the morning, tidy up their toys at the end of the day, put their dirty clothes in the hamper and bring dishes to the sink after meals.
I created a simple chore chart with some poorly drawn pictures and purchased hundreds of small stickers. I explained to them that if every day they did each chore they would get to choose a sticker and place each one on the chore chart. If they completed all their chores daily, they would get a quarter for each chore and at the end of the week, they would get seven dollars. They were so excited to be able to choose stickers each day, place them on the chart and receive an allowance.
I was pleasantly surprised that they not only did their chores, but if we forgot they would remind us. We have been using the chore chart for some months now and they are still on a roll. Nothing about this is revolutionary, but Mom-to-Mom, it worked for me and it may work for you, too!
