As I near the end of January’s focus on cleaning, I want to address chores. It’s important that housework isn’t put on the shoulders of just one person.
My thinking is if you live in this house and help make it dirty, then you need to help keep it clean. This should start at an early age.
Before I get into the whole concept of chores and charts, there are some tips I would like to offer parents. The first is, don’t look at chores as something for older kids.
The younger you start a habit with a child, the more ingrained it becomes in them. So when it’s expected at two years old, you should have less of a struggle when they are 16 years old.
At the same time, even if you didn’t get an early start, it’s never too late. You can still require that others who share the same space pitch in when it comes to cleaning.
The second tip is an issue that parents need to address, and it’s something I struggled with for many years. Don’t expect perfection. Don’t expect little Johnny to make his bed as neatly as you do.
At the same time, don’t go over your child’s work and redo it. Not only does this make them feel they aren’t good enough, but it doesn’t teach them anything.
If it’s truly a matter of something not being done right, then teach the correct way to do it. But if it’s just an issue of it not being the way you would do it, let it go.
Finally, be consistent. One week I was on top of them like white on rice when it came to their chores. The next week I didn’t feel like dealing with it. Inconsistency will cause them to slack off.
Keep these three tips in mind and it will make chores go much easier on both you and your children.