Useful Tips That Will Convince Your Children to Help with Household Chores

Asking your children to do household chores could be challenging. They will say no, even if you ask them several times to help. They will come up with all sorts of excuses to avoid responsibility. However, you shouldn’t give up. It’s good for them! They need to help out if they’re old enough to do the job. These tips will make it easier for you to teach important chores. 

Photo of a bathroom vanity with marble walls
Cleaning the bathroom may seem like common sense but helping your children build a strong work ethic will serve them well for years to come.

Offer a Reward for Household Chores

Reward systems almost always work. As long as the rewards as proportional to the tasks done, they’re good enough.

You can give them food or toys as a prize. You can also let them decide the reward, so they take ownership of the action.

The reward shouldn’t be too much, or you will find it hard to convince them to do the same tasks in the future. They will demand more from you. Conversely, if the children failed to do the assigned tasks, there should be consequences. It will make them realize that you’re serious about teaching them the right thing.

Explain the Value of the Chore

Another way to make them realize that household chores are worth doing is by explaining things to them. There are times when you get angry because your children don’t follow you. The truth is that you probably weren’t clear about what you wanted them to do. You didn’t even bother explaining the responsibility.

For example, if ask them to help out with some landscaping work you might expect some resistance. However, work alongside them. Explain that this helps the whole family by creating a greater sense of pride in your home. It also builds both skills and a strong worth ethic in people who are used to working hard. I didn’t even mention the value being added to your property.

if you let your children see the bigger picture, they will realize you’re right.

Tell Them the Practical Use in the Future 

Your children might not believe you if you tell them that learning the tasks is important. They will say that it’s not useful at all. Help them realize that there could be a practical use in the future.

They will learn to manage themselves if they have to live alone or if they wish to reside in other countries. You also need to explain that you won’t be around forever. There will be times when they have to count on themselves to do the household chores. 

Compromise 

You can’t expect your children to follow you right away unless you persuade them. Even then, you can’t expect them to obey everything you say.

For some children, the best approach may be to use compromises. If the list is too large, ask the child which chores they’d like to complete this week. Then they are contributing to the solution.

You can also meet them halfway on specific tasks. They can do a part of it, and you will do the rest. There are many ways to compromise.

Teaching your children to do the right thing will always pay off. It may take some effort but you shouldn’t give up. They need you to be the parent. Then when everything is completed, you can relax in your freestanding bath knowing that good was done.

Tre Pryor, Realtor

Tre Pryor is the leading real estate expert in the city of Louisville. He is a multi-million dollar producer and consistently ranks in the top 1% of Louisville Realtors for homes sold. Tre Pryor has the highest possible rating—5.0 stars on Google—by his clients and is routinely interviewed by the local NBC news. Tre Pryor is a member of the RE/MAX Hall of Fame.