Household chores allow the child to give him the feeling of belonging to his family.
- By entrusting household chores appropriate to your child’s age and abilities, you send him the message that you have confidence in him.
- When your child is small, you can motivate him by valuing him as a “big one”.
- Remember that your child’s involvement should remain collaborative, so don’t insist if he’s grumpy or angry, or it could turn into an argument.
Wanting to involve your child in household chores should not become a chore or a punishment, but on the contrary a collaborative act to allow him to feel useful.
Why entrust household chores to your child?
By wishing to entrust household tasks adapted to his age and his abilities, you send him the message that you have confidence in him and that you know that he is capable of taking on certain responsibilities. This involvement in the daily life of the house allows him not only to feel useful, but also to belong to the family unit, just like the other members.
What can you ask of your child?
If from the age of 3 you can ask your child to help you accomplish certain simple tasks, it is often only from the age of 5 that he will be able to be more autonomous. He can then take care of putting away the dishwasher, setting the table, putting the clothes in the laundry basket, watering the plants or dusting certain accessible furniture.
When he grows up, usually from 8 years old, he can then make his bed, hang some of the laundry, sweep, prepare a snack, or feed the animals in the house.
How to help him find his interest?
When your child is small, by valuing him as a “big man” you can interest him in certain tasks. However, if he gets discouraged, maybe review the level you ask him to, and keep an encouraging attitude by repeating with patience.
You can also use some form of reward like a sticker or a picture when he completes the task, and let him choose what he likes best out of two or three choices.
Do not hesitate either to vary to avoid that he gets bored, spend time with him to do household chores together, and why not set up playful game rules like timing or singing a song at the same time .
Mistakes to avoid
Remember that your child’s involvement should remain collaborative, so don’t insist if he’s grumpy or angry, or it could turn into an argument. Never use household chores as a punishment and avoid paying him, in any case not on a weekly basis but possibly occasionally when he performs a task outside of daily life (washing the car or weeding for example).
Find out more: “I help my family: A unique and motivating book that encourages children to participate in household and family chores” from Pleine d’Histoire.
