Yes! It has finally been proven that, when we were kids, we did a lot more around the house than kids do now. A study of more than 300 parenting magazines from 1929 to 2006 found that today’s children are only asked to take on trivial responsibilities such as feeding pets, clearing tables or tidying up, unlike kids of earlier generations, who were expected to plan menus, shop and prepare meals, nurse sick family members and even maintain the family car.
Sociologists believe the responsibilities of past generations of kids led to greater self-confidence and caring about other’s needs. So perhaps it’s time we gave our children more responsibility and viewed household chores as a normal part of life, rather than a punishment. Here are a few tips for making kids more chore-friendly.
Tour of duty
Realise that helping around the house – doing dishes, setting and clearing the table, cleaning up after themselves, making beds, etc – will help your child become responsible and an active part of your family. You shouldn’t have to bribe them with money or treats to do these things.
No mess, no fuss
Give each child a list of the chores you expect them to do on a daily basis, and have consequences if the tasks are not completed. Your child will learn time management and – as long as you are consistent with the consequences – you’ll find jobs get done without a fuss and your child will be contributing to the family.
Just tick-it
If some children are slow to understand the concept of chore lists, make up a chart for each child which gets ticked once the job is done. Some kids just need that extra explanation. Consider putting a gold star next to each completed job – teachers know how well stars work!
Family matters
Encourage your children to help you care for others in the family. From soothing a baby to nursing a sick sibling to taking grandma a cup of tea, looking after other family members teaches kids to take other people’s needs into consideration. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you are the only person capable of caring for others in the household.
Coming of age
Choose age-appropriate jobs for your children – you don’t want a four-year-old heating up baked beans for lunch. But be on the lookout for new skill bases your children achieve and match them with jobs. If a kid can cook a simple meal, then why not ask them to cook it for the family once a week. They will get a real sense of achievement, as well as positive reinforcement when you praise them.
Time for fun
Consider the possibility that if every child pulls their weight around the house, you – the busy working parents – will be able to spend more of your leisure time with the family rather than racing around all weekend cleaning up.
Willing and able
Remember that kids mature at different rates. It’s no use telling them their older brother or sister used to do a particular job at the same age if they are obviously not yet physically or mentally capable of doing the same task. oatch jobs to your children’s abilities, otherwise you will be setting them up for disappointment.
Job well done
Don’t forget to praise your child for jobs well done. It’s easy to take it for granted that your children are completing their assigned jobs every week, but sometimes it’s great if you can remind them just how fantastic they are and what a terrifically important member of the family they are. This is amazingly effective.
Lend a hand
Pitch in – at first. Sometimes cleaning a bedroom or sorting out toys can be overwhelming for a child, so do pitch in and help them out, especially to begin with. That way, you can teach them how to do it right.
Focus on the job
Put on some music and keep them company if you sense your child is getting distracted from their chores. Mr break it up into sessions to make it easier for your child to concentrate on the task at hand.
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