A house can get easily messy in a very short while. The thing is mom is expected to cook, clean, work and balance it all by herself. Well it takes more than one person to mess it up, so to give mom and dad a chance to recuperate and enjoy more time with their children. Do you struggle with your children about chores and clothes? Here are a few tips to lessen family discussions on house cleaning and shopping.
1. Allow each child a predetermine amount every week for chores
Make beds in the morning, clean up bedroom, pick-up clothes and toys. Of course after determining what is appropriate for the child’s age. Ah, remembering to flush the toilet, this can be expected at all ages, since no one likes to find an unwanted gift in the bathroom. If chores are not completed, deduct a part of their allowances, after all fair is fair.
2. A pre-teen or teenager can contribute more chores
They can mow the grass, bring the trash out, prepare once a week on a predetermined day a meal, insisting not always a pizza or burgers. With age comes more freedom, instead or numerous squabbles about what and where to buy new clothes, again allow a specific monthly allowance for this purpose, this will instil for the parent a time to educate the older child, notion on how money works thus, giving the child permission to buy clothes of his or her choices, taking in consideration that their style may not be yours, as long as it is decent and respectable.
But what if my child spends foolishly all the money. Good question, then he or she will continue wearing old clothes. After a few months of this, looking at other family members or friends who have made better choices with their money, things will change, if worst comes to worst, you go back to buying the clothes.
3. An important measure, try humour and turn everything into a game.
Saturday mornings can be hectic at times, cleaning up the house, errands, why not put on good music, start a game on who does the best dusting, window car washing gets to choose where to have lunch? Play with your family, enjoy working together, so that parents can have more time to enjoy life. Remember, one day, your little ones will leave the nest, the house will be nice and quiet and you will then have all the time in the world to remember the havoc, chaos.
Now, it will be you, visiting your all grown up children, going through the same predicament as you did as parents. You will then play with your grand children; nap all you want, finding out that you do not need it so much, as you can finally sleep a full night without interruption.
Let me know how these tips to get your children to do their chores worked for you. You may find more ways to help other parents to cope, then share this with them.
some really great suggestions. I think that it is so important to start this early.
This is something we struggle with on a daily basis… I will definitely try some of these suggestions to try to keep the mood light and fun!
I think that this must be a common struggle in many households!
Totally agree, it is never too early or too late to start.
Its a few great ideas im having a hard time with my teen n pre teen
Hope this will help, letting go is not easy, as pre teens and teenagers, are decisive in their requests, all generations struggled with freedom at a young age, remembering that this a phase and how we reacted at that age, helps to calm down discussions. Thank you for your comment.
Thanks these are great tips! Thankfully My daughter is really great with chores, she enjoys organizing her bed just so, and loves to mop the floor!
These are great tips,when my kids were young it was a struggle.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. Who knows when it will be their turn to be parents, your children will remember what and how it was for them.
My friend keeps a list of extra choses on her fridge which give the kids the opportunity to earn money,this is extra and does not count the chores they are responible for daily.They can do a money making chore unless thier daily chores are done !
I find too many parents don’t get their kids to do anything but I think chores helps the kids learn about responsibility and they also learn how hard it is to keep everything in order and hopefully as the kids get older they learn how to respect everything.
I grew up cooking and cleaning because my mother was a single mom who worked and went to school so the only way things got done was if we all helped