Most parents complain their kids don’t help with house chores. Kids will be kids, right? Well, not so fast. Children don’t want to do tasks and many times flat out refuse to do them. Often the main complaint that kids give is that it’s “not their job.” Implementing a proper parenting strategy helps avoid these issues.
However, every parent comes across an unwilling participant. The thing is, chores shouldn’t be an option, but rather an obligation for every member of the family. The key to avoiding long fights and dirty laundry is teaching your kids early on that they are expected to perform specific duties around the house, no questions asked.
Get into the habit of doing chores as a family even when your kids can barely walk. Believe me, even little kids can understand they need to do a little something. I’ve seen a 2-year-old “clean” a window with a soapy sock, and feel very accomplished afterward.
The trick with little kids — and even teens — doing chores is avoiding perfectionism. Of course, a toddler won’t clean the window as you would, or a seven-year-old will most likely mess up a couple of times if charged with laundry.
Even teenagers will do their chores different from what you’d expect! The key is being happy with “enough.” Clean enough is clean. Give your kids a chance and sooner rather than later they will learn to do their chores better.