5 Ways to Get Your Kids to Do Chores

Every parent knows how difficult it can be to get their kids to clean up after themselves, much less maintain the cleanliness of the home. If you really want success in this area, consider the following tips that are sure to deliver the results you want.

1. Start Small

When children aren't used to keeping things clean they will rebel against their new responsibilities. The best way to get them started is to begin with small things. Don't start out by telling them they have to clean their room every week, or that they have to sweep and mop all of the floors. Imagine starting a new job and your boss hands you a stack of work to do on the first day. A little overwhelming right? That's how it feels to kids when they haven't been trained to clean up and you suddenly hand them a giant list of chores.

Help them get used to the idea by giving them easy to accomplish tasks to start out with, like: Throwing their trash away when they've finished with something, rinsing their plate after dinner, or picking their dirty laundry up off the bathroom floor and putting it in a basket. These are simple tasks that they will be able to handle.

2. Allow Time for Each New Chore

After you've given them some small chores to complete allow them about a week to get the hang of it. If you begin the process gradually they are much more likely to stick with their new responsibilities and put up less of a fight. After they've spent a week working on throwing their trash away and rinsing their plates after dinner, you can present a new task. Just remember to avoid making it too overwhelming.

3. Reward Them at the End of Each Week

Rewards are a great way to get kids to do more around the house. You do not have to spend a lot of money. A reward can be something like preparing their favorite dish, letting them help you cook a meal, renting a movie of their choice and watching It together while enjoying some popcorn, or just spending some time with them doing something they enjoy.

4. Give Praise

Make sure that no matter how little progress they make, you give them praise. Even if they only throw their trash away once or twice that week, let them know how much you appreciate it and that you're really proud of them. Don't focus on what they didn't do.

If at the end of the week they just haven't done the chores to your satisfaction, you could say something like:

"I thought you did really well this week, but I believe you can do even better...it just takes a little time to get used to doing this stuff. Let's try it again this week and if you give it your best, we'll do something special at the end of the week."

They are going to respond a lot better to that comment than they would to something like, "No...you don't get a reward this week because you didn't do what you were told." This kind of statement is very disheartening for a child and will only make them want to retreat and continue to avoid doing their chores. So always lean toward the positive.

5. Be Persistent

You have to stick with your resolve even when it seems pointless. It will take them some time to really develop new habits, so be patient. If you give up because they aren't progressing as quickly as you think they should, they will never accept these responsibilities. Persistence does not require being mean, just firmness. Show that you believe in them, and that you're not backing down.

Remember that it isn't just about getting them to clean; it's about teaching them to be responsible and capable as they grow. If they don't learn these habits as a child, it will be difficult to do so as an adult. It really is for their own good. So stick with it.