I have a 7 year old and a 2 year old that do chores daily. The way I got it to work was making a schdule and following it everyday. The kids are more inclined to go along with something when it is routine.
For example every morning after breakfast we have our
%26quot;morning chores%26quot; this consist of making beds and cleaning up the breakfast dishes and cleaning up any mess they made. If they don%26#039;t complete the morning chores in the time allowed they will not get to movie time that normally comes afterward they will just have to keep working until it is done.
The other thing I do to make it fun for them is turn on kids upbeat music and make it a contest of who can do it the fatest. My 7 year old loves that!!
I also have a special Kool Aid that I give them called %26quot;Cleaning Monster Fuel%26quot; when they drink it they are turned into cleaning monsters who can%26#039;t help but clean up!
In the afternoon we have our %26quot;afternoon chores%26quot; which is laundry and sweeping etc.. then we get to go swimming or have free play time.
The trick is to make it rountine, if you are a full time working Mom I know it is harder. I have been both and currently I have to stay home and be on %26quot;bed Rest%26quot; while awaiting the birth of our third baby.
Best of luck!! I hope this helps,
Getting my 9 and 6 year old to help out w chores is like pulling teeth. What can I do to motivate them?Reward?
Pay them an allowance.
Reply:I would use a reward chart like the SuperNanny does on TV
Reply:I don%26#039;t see anything wrong with a reward system that is based upon their level of responsibilities around the house. I saw on a show once (probably one of those Nanny shows...) where the kids had to earn their privileges. The more responsibility and respect the kids showed, the bigger the privileges. It was set up on a ladder that was drawn on a corkboard so they could use push pins to move up and down the ladder. If the kids were disrespectful or didn%26#039;t do their chores, their push pin got moved down the ladder causing them to lose some privileges. This also gives the kids ownership over whether or not they want the privileges. I would suggest working with your kids on this too so they will be more invested in it. Good luck!!!
Reply:Your a little late w/chores. I%26#039;m starting now while there young they think it%26#039;s fun mine want to feel/do some of the things they see me or my hus do, like cleaning doing dishes etc., now you may need to do the reward or take away some of their fav things until they begin to show they can appreciate by cleaning their rooms or different parts of the house.
Reply:Do they get an allowance for chores? If so assign an amount of the allowance to each chore they have. Let them know they will only be paid if they do the chores and do them with out you having to say anything. If they don%26#039;t do them subtract the amount for each undone chore from the amount they get.
With the six year old though you can always turn cleaning in to a game.
Reply:you should start them with chores while there still in diapers..and make it like a game with a reward system both my boys love to clean and i started them with chores at about one in a half of corse i had to redo a lot of what they did but they just loved helping out and they got better as they got older...i still remember when my oldest threw a tantrum because grandma wouldnt let him help vaccum..lol that was sooo funny
Reply:You could possibly start by having them work WITH you, side by side. Most kids enjoy this, rather than being sent off to do chores alone. This will enable you to spend fun one-on-one time with them, as well as being a training time so they learn how to do things RIGHT. You could approach it like, %26quot;Sarah, I%26#039;ll bet NO ONE in your class knows how to do _____! C%26#039;mon, I%26#039;ll teach you how! We can do it together!%26quot;
Both kids should also be responsible for daily chores. You should make a chart, although maybe not quite yet - make sure they have the skills to complete the chores first - and there should be things that they do every single day. I started a chore chart for my kids when they were 8 %26amp; 9. Each week, one time they wash the dishes, put them away, do their laundry, clean the main bathroom, take out all the trash, bring in trashcans, have their rooms perfectly clean, clean out the car, and probably a few other things. Then a few times/wk they take care of the dog, fill water bottles and put them in the fridge, and other things I can%26#039;t remember. They have gotten quite proficient at many skills. They are 11 and 12 now, and now in addition to the regular things they do get other things assigned as the need arises [like when we are having company, teehee]. They are now completely competent at caring for the home, other than cooking. But they wouldn%26#039;t starve if I broke my leg and was laid up for a few weeks either. They know how to do more around the house than most [but not all] college students I know.
There are various schools of thought on rewarding kids for chores. Some people do, while others say that the child gets food and shelter and has to contribute to the family. I don%26#039;t know what position is correct here! Certainly you should not reward your child for every single thing - real life is not like that - but in real life at a job, you do get a lot more kudos/raises/privileges for working well. I think that what is more important is a child%26#039;s attitude toward work - are they always trying to get out of work, or to make absolutely SURE that their sib does not do one ounce less of work than they do? They need to LEARN to work, and it is a learned trait just like everything else. Kids are not born wanting to work, so this is something to work on patiently and firmly. Do not allow complaining - when mine were small and complained about work, my philosophy was that they needed to %26#039;practice working%26#039; till they could do it with a good attitude. One of them had to %26#039;practice working%26#039; probably 3x about the age of 6 or 7, and it was so funny to see him doing the extra things I had assigned with a BIG SMILE and singing cheerfully, to show me that he was working happily so he could STOP. The other one NEVER had to practice working because she learned from her brother%26#039;s example...
Reply:I would not reward them for something they need to do. Start taking things away from them. Rewarding them is telling them if they want nothing do nothing. If you take things away they learn they need to do or they get less freedom.
Never could understand rewarding kids for doing something they are supposed to do. Reward only if they do with out asking.
Reply:If you have an allowance system with no responsibilities, END IT.
Set up a commission system where they get paid for chores they do. Some chores are required just being a member of the family, but others have a set pay rate. If they don%26#039;t do chores, DO NOT give them any money. Have them be responsible for funding their own items. If they want to go to the movies, they use their own money. If they want to go out with friends, they use their own money. They save for larger items they want and learn the value of a dollar. If they want those $50 pair of jeans, you get ths picture.
This only works if you don%26#039;t just hand them cash in a weak moment.
Reply:Something that really help us was what I liked to call %26quot;powerpoints%26quot;.
The reward was at the end of the week. But the extent of it was based on points.
They need 100 points to ___________
The need 200 points to ___________
If they didn%26#039;t get they points, they didn%26#039;t get to do it.
It requires some keeping track on our part, but it%26#039;s amazing how good they get at this.
Putting away clothes that were folded on the step. . . 5 points.
Cleaning up their own plate after dinner, and wiping up their area.. . 5 points.
Making their bed in the morning and taking their laundry into the laundry room. . . 5 points.
IT%26#039;s amazing how good they get at keeping track of their own points. But I kept a notebook.
Here%26#039;s the catch. . . If I had to tell my kids to do it, I gave them 5 points. If they did something without me asking them to
I gave them %26quot;Think-for-your-self%26quot; points, which encouraged them not to ask me what to do.
These points were huge 20 points!!
They looked for thing to do that I didn%26#039;t ask them to do just to get the %26quot;think-for-yourself-points%26quot;.
You can probably figure something out for yourself, but points can really work with competive boys.
Especially rewarding them for figuring out something on their own that needs to be done, like %26quot;taking the trash out because it%26#039;s full%26quot;. And you don%26#039;t even have to ask.
Reply:A lot of parents have the misconception that it%26#039;s an OPTION for their kids to do chores and help around the house. In my house it%26#039;s mandatory. My 12 year old is responsible for making sure his room is clean, doing the dishes, and taking out the kitchen trash. My 6 year old is responsible for making sure her room is clean, the small trash (bathrooms and bedrooms) is taken out, and her toy room is kept neat. If you start early and teach them responsibility it%26#039;s a lesson well learned. I see so many parents saying.. %26quot;oh I can%26#039;t get little Bobby to do chores to save my life%26quot;. Well, that%26#039;s because little Bobby is being ASKED to do them.. and not told. You are the parent.. set rules and enforce them. Simple as that.
Reply:I think that if you want them to do chores give a reward each time untill they get used to doing chores.
Good luck!!
Reply:No, no rewards, and don%26#039;t have allowance tied to chores.
Everyone in the family must work together to keep the family going and the house in shape. The children just need to help out as a matter of course. They MUST do certain chores, aside from keeping their own rooms clean.
my cat
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