How Early Can Children Be Taught To Do Chores?

So here is a shocker for some mums, children helping around the house is not a bad thing! I know parents who refuse to make their children clean their room, make their beds or pick up after themselves. They believe there is always time when they are older. How many of us can change our ways now that we are older? Who you are now is based on what you learnt as a child. If you learnt that you didn't have to pick up after yourself, why would you change the rules now? 

It is never too early to teach a child to help out, that is what I believe. I am not saying a 1 year old must make their bed, but there are things at each age that a child can do to help out around the house. The important this is TO MAKE IT FUN! For example, kids can learn to help set the table; each one would have a task to do, like someone picks the mats to be used, the cups to be used for that meal, it would be their 'design choice'.

Another point to remember is to KNOW YOUR CHILD'S TEMPERAMENT. Not all children will respond to chores being fun, some may just not want to participate. Find out what works for your child. A child may not like doing a chore with others, they like to have control over the task, so let them do it alone. Another child may do something and expect something in return. That one is a tricky one for me personally as I do not like rewarding children for such, I fear the child may view rewarding for responsibility in the wrong way. If your child is like this maybe reward with extra time to play outside, that way they are active and learning. You could reward with extra time in the bath even during bath time. 

MAKE THEM DO SOMETHING THEY CAN DO REGULARLY. Naturally if you keep doing something, it will stick, so if your child keeps doing the same chore, they will end up doing it on their own regularly or daily. So you need to make sure the task is something they can relate to based on their age. For the younger kids, picking up their toys after they play, putting their dirty clothes in the laundry basket, taking their plates to the kitchen after a meal, could be some things they could do. Older kids could be cleaning their rooms, helping with the dishes, helping with the laundry for example.

Teaching children to help out makes them better citizens and better people. 

• They learn to be responsible at a young age.
• They also get prepared for university when they have to live alone and look after themselves.
• It teaches them discipline at an early age knowing that they have a regular task to do and that it must be done.

So lets start getting our kids busy around the house at an early age, they will appreciate it a lot when they are much older

Till Next Monday

Stay Blessed 

Tafi

#beingaparent