In order to make your child eager to help around the house, it is a good idea to involve him/her in everyday chores from an early age. As the child gets used to the tasks, he/she will later treat them as a part of his/her life. However, remember to adjust the household chores to the child’s age and abilities.
The earlier, the better. Easy tasks can be given even to a two-year-old. Of course, you have to adjust the tasks to the child’s age. For such a toddler a suitable task will be putting books on a shelf or throwing blocks into a basket.
When entrusting your child with a given task, never do it for the child. Such behavior may discourage the toddler from helping. Above all, be patient. Wait until the child manages the task on his own and then praise him.
The chosen tasks must be adjusted to the child’s abilities and should not cause him/her any problems. Overloading the child with chores or giving him/her difficult tasks which he/she will not be able to cope with will have a negative effect on the child
If the child performs an activity for the first time, first show him/her how to do it, until he/she understands exactly what is going on. In this way, the toddler will be prepared to act independently and will feel confident. A reward system is extremely important. Praising and small rewards will encourage him to act.
What is important, the child should be praised not only after completing the task, but also when, for some reason, he or she did not manage to complete the task. What counts most is the child’s good will. Remember that you have to be an example for your child. Demand from him/her regular help, so that after some time he/she does not get unattached to the household duties. Reward them even for small completed tasks. You can use stickers or give him some other small objects, and after collecting a given amount, exchange them for a fixed reward.
By involving your toddler in daily household chores, you let him know that keeping the house clean is extremely important. So that he doesn’t get discouraged at the beginning of the cleaning process, you can accompany him in these activities. A good way to do this is to use the element of fun and competition. Have a competition with your child as to who is faster to put books on a shelf or teddy bears on a bookcase.
Look for the reason for this. Maybe your child has too many duties, or is not able to cope with the tasks? Sometimes it is necessary to change the schedule of the activities (the child is too tired of them) or to make the tasks more varied. After some time, the household chores may become a routine, which should be quickly eliminated.
However, if the child still does not want to help around the house, you can consider using punishments. You can, for example, take away a privilege from the child (watching cartoons, playing games). Sometimes it turns out to be an effective method to make the child aware of the consequences of not fulfilling his/her duty. After a few days of mess in the child’s room, it will certainly start to bother him.
Remember never to do chores for him. By this behavior, the toddler will understand that he doesn’t need to do any chores because the parent will eventually do it for him anyway.
Carrying out the assigned household tasks, which have been appropriately selected for the child’s age and abilities, will bring him many benefits. First of all, daily chores strengthen the child’s sense of self-worth, independence and are a challenge for him. At the same time, they teach that they are an inseparable part of the whole family’s life.
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