From putting toys back after playtime to setting the table, many parents find it challenging to motivate their children to help with chores. While day care centers prioritize group cleanup activities, you can reinforce these skills at home. This will teach your little one valuable lessons about personal responsibility and the value of aiding others. It will also come in handy when they’re older and able to take on more complex tasks by themselves, like washing the dishes or taking out the trash. Here are some suggestions for encouraging your children to take part. 

Top Tips for Getting Kids to Do Chores

1. Keep Age in Mind

When you’re introducing your kids to the idea of doing chores, don’t give them tasks that are too difficult or complex for them to handle. Take each child’s age, size, and motor skill development into account when deciding which tasks they can do. If you give them assignments that are beyond their capabilities, they may get frustrated, but if you give them age-appropriate duties, they’ll get a sense of accomplishment from helping.

2. Make Housework a Group Effort

Household tasks will be more fun for your child if they offer opportunities to spend time with you and other family members. Rather than giving assignments for the kids to carry out on their own, get them to help you with a task you’re already doing. While you sort laundry, pick up clutter, or pull weeds together, you can chat and get to hear about what your kids have been up to at their school or day care center. Not only will this promote bonding, it will also provide a positive example, demonstrate the proper way to execute tasks, and limit complaints of unfairness. 

3. Turn Cleanup Into a Game

Everything’s more entertaining when it’s a game, so think of creative ways to turn housework into a scavenger hunt, puzzle, or contest. Hide small treats such as candy or stickers in the area your child is in charge of cleaning. Have siblings or playmates compete against each other to see who can put away the most toys in 10 minutes. Play music, sing, intersperse tasks with silly dances, or tell stories in a goofy voice to keep your little one engaged. The staff at your child’s day care center will also give you more ideas for games that can make chores seem less like work and more like play.

Mendon Child Care Center is a leading day care center in Monroe County, NY, providing attentive care for children from 6 weeks to 8 years of age. The center offers infant and toddler programs, as well as preschool and after-school programs, with well-rounded, age-appropriate activities such as art, music, physical play, math, science, and reading. Call (585) 624-2337 to enroll your child, or visit their website to learn more about their child care curriculum.