Getting Your Kids Involved

Who said us mom's had to do all the work when it comes to cleaning?  Why not get our kids involved and have them help you clean?!  I'm not talking about having them cleaning the oven or working with noxious fumes, but have them do small easy things like vacuuming, cleaning their room, having them help you with the laundry, etc.

I have my little one help me with house work all the time.  It makes her feel like a big girl and it helps me as well.



You should always make the tasks appropriate for the age of your child or children.  For a 3-year-old you can assign them to make their bed, pick up toys, brush their teeth, pick up clothes, and brush their hair.  For a four and five-year-old they can set the table with non-breakable items like silverware and napkins, help put away clean laundry and do dry dusting.   Every child is different and you can decide what chores are just right for your children.

The most important thing is to make doing chores fun.  This way your child wants to do their chores and will be excited to move up and get harder tasks to complete.  With children who cannot read yet, make their chart with pictures.

There is no "right-way" to make a chore chart for your family and not everyone is going to work.  You have to find one that works for your family and stick to it!

Chore Charts are easy to make in Excel!  Once you have made a chart that you think will work great for your family, print it out and frame it in a cheap picture frame.  This allows you to not only change it when you need to, but you can easily use a dry erase marker to check off the tasks that are completed.  Now place the chart in a place where you and your little one will see it every day.

Now it's up to you on how to reward your little one at the end of each week if they have completed all their chores.  It may be to reward them with a special outing or treat or even reward them with an allowance.  An allowance will also teach them how to be responsible with their money.

An example: If all chores are completed your child will get $5.  If they don't do a chore, they get a fine of .50.  If they complain while doing chores, there is a .50 fine.  At the end of the week, they will receive their $5 minus any fines.  They can then use that money to use as they like.  If you are a church goer, then maybe make it where they have to pay $1 to the offering and then use the rest to their liking.

This will teach your little one to be responsible with their money, see that there is consequences to their actions, and also the power of giving.  All of these are great life lessons that your little one will grow to appreciate in life.