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| How to Make Housecleaning Chores Fun for Kids |
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How often have your kids asked to wash the dishes? Or vacuum the living room? Or help out with the yard work? If the answer is "never," you need our guide to making household chores fun for kids.
Giving your kids chores is an essential part of their development. It gives them a sense of responsibility and contribution, which helps them grow into dependable adults. As early as age 3, you can begin to have your child put away her toys, put clothes in the hamper, even feed the family pet. Here are some tips to help start the process early.
Reward Charts
Create a chart to keep track of daily chores. Let your kids help design the chart. Having them involved in the creation of a reward chart will make them more enthusiastic about fulfilling the chores and using the chart to track their success. You can also let them come up with their own rewards for completing all their chores at the end of the week. Options include anything from a pizza and video night to an allowance.
On Your Mark, Get Set … Clean!
Turn chore time into game time with a little creativity. For example, make picking up toys into a race. Set a timer and have your kids try to beat the clock as they race to get all their toys put away. Make a competition out of pulling the weeds in the garden. Whoever finds and pulls the most weeds wins!
The Wacky Wheel of Chores
Make your own wacky wheel by using a square piece of cardboard. Draw a circle and divide it into pie sections, like a pizza, and write down a different task in each section. Take another piece of cardboard and cut out your spinner in the shape of an arrow. Attach the spinner to the middle of the circle using a brad fastener. Give your wacky wheel a few test spins, and then let your kids give it a try. Wherever the spinner lands is their chore of the day!
Cool Tools of the Trade
Let your child take ownership of his new responsibility by giving him his very own cleaning gear. For example, if your child is going to be in charge of the houseplants, take him to the store and let the "professional" pick out his own watering can. Or if he's going to help out with the dishes, make sure he's suited up to do the job right with a special apron, gloves and a grease-cutting detergent such as Dawn®.
A Spotless Treasure Hunt
Make sure every nook and cranny of the room gets dusted by hiding your extra change. Place coins on the mantle, on your television, on stereo equipment — anywhere you normally dust. Arm your child with Swiffer Dusters®. Then tell your child you've hidden money throughout the room, and if she dusts everywhere she's supposed to, she'll find and get to keep her treasure.
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