With many parents coming back from work tired and so stressed after a full day out trying to provide for their families, they definitely need help with assistance at home especially in the absence of house helps.
House chores are works done around the home. It includes basic cleaning, arranging and putting things in place.
It’s simply anything done to keep the house in order, safe and neat. So every member of the family has their own specific house chores; from father, mother and even children.
As parents, sharing house chores will not just help to relieve some stress but it will also help provide your children with free time to do fun activities.
House chores for young children include washing of dishes, clearing the dining table after meals, hanging out clothes and folding them, watering the gardening, arranging the book shelves, assisting in the kitchen, etc.
Chores for pre-teens and teenagers include washing of clothes, cooking, helping their younger ones out with their assignment, etc.
Although some children need to be reminded of their house chores while some prefer to help with these chores.
Some will cry over doing it while some will love it and always want to help. It all depends on how it was introduced to them and how you bring it to them.
They can learn a whole lot of things from helping out with house chores. This helps build their level of responsibility and prepare them for the adult life in advance.
Also, house chores should never be gender-based, that is, don’t differentiate them into male and female house chores.
House chores like cooking should be for both male and female as opposed to the olden days. They should see them as essential survive skills needed for the future.
The following are ways to incorporate house chores into children activities:
- Do it together in a lively way: Link it to something they remember; be it a song or a commercial advert. Imagine cleaning the kitchen sink with a dishwashing soap while singing the beautiful advert of the dishwashing soap on television. This makes the whole process interesting and exciting. It’s always a way to bond with them. Dance around the kitchen, play some games as well, set time mark; all of these are longtime memories. They’ll never want it to end.
- They should know that it’s a way of helping out: Knowing fully well that children never forget what they were taught while growing up, this is a good medium to teach them house chores. Show them that they’re relieving you from a lot of stress and that it’s a way to show love.
- Appreciate them for trying and a job well done: No matter how light, small or not complete it is, appreciate and compliment them. You can do this by saying words like ‘you just relieved me from a lot of stress, thank you my dear for this, I’ll get you a cup of ice-cream for this, etc.’ This will encourage them to do more.
- Give them simple chores: Giving them the appropriate house chores for their age grade will bring better results. Toddlers should be given chores such as arranging and picking up toys, children of eight to ten years should be given chores such as folding clothes, sweeping the house, doing the dishes, helping their younger ones out, while teenagers should be given chores such as cooking, cleaning and washing.
- Compensating them: This is also a way to reward and encourage them. It is a way to teach them about making money as well.
