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The groaning. The eye rolls. It must be time for…Chores! Trying to figure out how to get kids to do chores is a struggle for so many of us.
I must admit, I get it. After a full day of school, homework, and after-school activities, the very last thing any of us wants to do is clean the house. But I know if we don’t, the house will become unlivable. After all, a family of seven can destroy a clean house faster than you can say, “what’s that smell? ”
For our own family survival, we have to work hard to keep everything from getting out of hand. If we let things stay messy too long, it’s nearly impossible to get it back in order. The key is consistency. But how on earth do I get five cranky kids to lend a hand so that our house doesn’t fall apart?
After lots of trial and error, there are a few strategies that have helped us keep it together.
Contents
How to Get Kids to Do Chores Without a Fight
1. Choose Appropriate Chores
Start early!
Have you ever noticed how much toddlers love to help? They want to be a part of what the family is doing. By all means, let them help! I know it would be easier and faster to do most things yourself, but letting them help with small things early-on teaches them the value of contributing to the family. The sooner they learn that they have a role to play, the more likely they will be to want to help out in the future.
I give my preschooler small tasks that she can handle and feel successful. She can bring things to me, pick up pillows off of the floor, or help wipe the table. Sometimes I even let her help me sweep the kitchen. Really, all she’s doing is relocating the crumbs to other places in the room, but her older siblings praise her efforts and she feels like part of the team!
Safety First
Always consider what your kids are able to do safely at their age and ability level. I wouldn’t have my younger kids using any harsh cleaning chemicals or mowing the lawn. Supervise your kids as they work to make sure they are using cleaning items correctly and safely.
Consider Giving Them a Choice
Choosing not to help is never an option. However, when delegating tasks, you might consider your child’s individual preferences.
I have one kid who actually enjoys mopping and vacuuming. The other kids have no problem with me giving him those tasks. Another child likes cleaning windows and mirrors, so we often assign that task to her.
Whenever possible, I try to accommodate preferences. Just know, there will always be those dreaded tasks that still have to be done. My kids and I are all united in our hatred of cleaning dishes and toilets, but it still has to be done.
2. Have a Set Time
If getting things clean is a priority, put it into your daily schedule.
Certain tasks have to be done every day: basic tidying in each room, cleaning up after meals, taking out the trash, etc. We tackle these things as a family right after dinner. This time works best for us because it’s one of the few times we have everyone in one place. As soon as everyone leaves the table and scatters to separate rooms, it’s practically impossible to get them all back together!
As soon as dinner is over, the kids all know that it’s cleanup time. Because it’s an expected part of our daily routine, there’s much less arguing when they’re asked to help out. It also really helps for the kids to see the whole family sharing the load. It really drives the point home that we are a team- and they are a part of that team!
Bigger cleaning projects that require more time are scheduled on the weekend. We try to choose one of those rare days when nothing else is going on. We make a list of tasks that need to be accomplished and delegate them to different members of the family according to age and ability.
Having a plan is key! If everyone is working and we get it all done, we’ll go out for ice cream or have an afternoon at the park.
3. Have Clear Expectations
Show Them How to Do Chores
It’s important that each child knows exactly what is expected of them. When we were first starting out with chores, I would just tell my kids to “clean up the living room”. I quickly learned that, in my kids’ eyes, piling everything from the floor to the couch looks pretty clean.
I realized that I needed to take the time to show them what I expected them to do. Training them to put things away in the right places takes more time in the beginning, but it will payoff big time later on.
Have a Place For Everything
If I don’t even know where something goes, you can be sure that my kids don’t know. It’s time to get organized.
The first place I started organizing was the playroom. I purchased plastic bins, a shelf, and toy baskets. I then made a clear space for each item by labeling the bins with pictures and categories so that every toy had a destination. Picture labels are great because even preschoolers can easily see where things belong.
Once you have a clear place for each toy, book, or clothing item, take the time to show your kids where each item belongs. If my kids try to cheat and throw everything in the closet, I have them go back and do it again the correct way. If you can establish a clean-up routine that’s done right, your chore system run like clockwork.
Rotate Responsibilities
Our three oldest kids are assigned a room that they’re responsible for each night during cleanup. One kid takes the living room and playroom, one cleans the dining room, and the third kid cleans the kitchen. The kids know their assignments, so they can start cleaning quickly after dinner. Each week we rotate room responsibilities. That way, the same kid isn’t always stuck doing the same room each week.
Each kid is also responsible for keeping his or her own bedroom and bathroom clean. We do a room check each night at tuck-in. If they haven’t kept their own rooms reasonably tidy, they will not get screen time the next day until the rooms are clean. We try to teach them that tidying up a little each day is better than spending hours cleaning a room that has gotten out of control.
Try Assigning Smaller Tasks
It’s very difficult to keep our younger kids on task. We probably get the most resistance from them, which isn’t surprising. Even asking them to clean their bedroom will trigger overdramatic complaints that it’s “just too hard”.
So, we break the chore down for them into smaller steps. First, we ask them to put away all of their books. Next, we ask them to put all their dirty clothes into the hamper. Giving them bite-sized tasks helps a giant chore seem less intimidating.
Free Printable Chore Chart
To help you keep it organized, here is a Free Printable daily chore charts.pdf for you to use at home! There are two pages included. One is a weekly checklist of tasks and the other page allows you to assign specific chores to your kids for each day of the week.
4. Make It Fun!
Want to know how to get kids to do chores? Find creative ways to make it fun!
Chores- Fun? It may not even sound possible, but I’ve seen it done!
When our whole family works together, it’s not only more productive, but it can be way more fun than working alone. During our family chore time we can make it fun by:
Playing Music
We let each person pick a song and add it to a playlist. Then, we crank it up and start cleaning! You can even use the music to motivate your cleaning. Sometimes, we all start in the same room and see if we can have it clean before the song is over. A little competition can be a great incentive.
Speaking of competition, you can also make cleaning fun by…
Making it a Game
Time yourself on a task to see if you can beat the clock. Race one another to see whose room is spotless first. Be careful with this one, though – we still want to make sure the chores are done the right way.
For our youngest kids, my husband invented a game called “garbage truck.” The kids sit on the couch while Dad “drives” the imaginary truck (complete with sound effects). When the truck stops, he calls out the item they have to pick up (like shoes, books, legos, or whatever happens to be lying on the floor of the living room). They jump off the truck and rush to put all of those things away before the truck leaves again. Then, they jump back on and “drive” to the next street to pick up new items.
Of course, we don’t have time to incorporate games every night. We have found, though, that changing things up every once in a while helps keep the complaining to a minimum. Having a routine is great for consistency, but don’t be afraid to try new things once in a while to keep it fresh. Be creative and tailor the cleaning style to match your family’s personality.
5. Reward Yourself
Try working toward a common goal: Once the chores are completely done, we can ____________.
In our family, the kids work fast in order to play a family game, watch a movie together, have some screen time, or eat a special dessert. Whatever it is they’re looking forward to, it’s well-known in our household that all the chores will have to be done first.
The added bonus of working toward a common goal is that the reward means more time doing something together as a family.
A Valuable Resource!
A resource that I love is this Weekly Household Planner from The Confident Mom. This is a tremendous resource to help you get your house hold cleaning tasks in order. It features daily checklists of specific household cleaning tasks. I love having a few things to focus on each day, and who doesn’t love checking things off your to-do list!
The best part is, the Weekly Household Planner is FREE, with the option of adding on a supplement pack for just $10.
The planner is dated, but even if you download it mid-year (which I did ), you can just pick up on whatever date you receive it and get yourself organized.
From typical cleaning tasks to things you never think about (like cleaning our your purse, and organizing that junk drawer), this planner covers everything- and I mean everything!
Conclusion
The hardest part of how to get kids to do chores is establishing the habit of cleaning. If chores are new for your kids, start with a just few tasks. You can build your chore routine as the kids become more successful with their jobs. Just be consistent, come up with a plan, and make sure that everyone knows exactly what is expected of them.
It’s important that our kids see that chores are part of being a family. Families have to work together like a team, and everyone has a role to play.
