In one study, participants estimated they spend five and a half hours of washing dishes every week. Housecleaning is a time-consuming necessity.
But what if your kids could help? At what age is it appropriate for kids to start pulling their weight when it comes to household chores, and how can you get them to help out?
We’ve got answers.
Start Young
Kids as young as 18 months can start to help around the house with chores. But that doesn’t mean you should hand over the vacuum cleaner or the lawnmower.
Kids should start helping out around the house as soon as they can walk, but there are still certain things they can’t do. Make sure the chores your children are assigned to tackle are age-appropriate.
Communicate Effectively
Kids are constantly learning, and they have to learn how to clean too. But micromanaging them is the worst way to encourage cleaning. Instead, teach your child how to clean, and then step back.
Make sure your standards are expressed upfront, and responsibilities are properly delegated. Effective, open communication is key to encouraging your kids to help with chores.
Give Kids Autonomy
No one likes to be told what to do, especially young humans. Let them participate in conversations around cleaning plans, let them decide what they do, and don’t want to do. Give them praise for the work they accomplish.
When kids feel like they have control over what they have to do, they’re more likely to do it willingly and take pride in a job well done.
Build Healthy Habits
Cleaning house teaches that attitude to buckle down and get a job done. It’s vital for doing well in life as an adult. And if cleaning habits are established while kids are young, they’ll be able to enter the adult world more competent and capable.
Building healthy habits while kids are young means they don’t have to think about it when they get older. So just like you teach your kids to brush their teeth before bed, teach them to wash dishes when the meal is over.
Consider Hiring Help
The fact is, a three-year-old can only sweep the kitchen floor so well, and there will be crumbs left behind. Cleaning house is vital to building an ability to get a job done, even if its a sucky job. So you don’t want to let your kids off the hook.
Even still, you don’t want to walk on a crumb-covered kitchen floor. So consider hiring someone to help with housekeeping and chores to cover the gaps your kid’s miss.
Housecleaning Is Better When There’s Help
Very few people love housecleaning chores. Instead, turn cleaning into quality time with your kids, or get your kids to help with maintaining the house. This way you dedicate less of your time to chores, and you can enjoy it more too.
Teaching your kids to clean helps them build healthy cleaning habits throughout their lives. On top of that, it eases some cleaning pressure off you today.
What are your favorite ways to get your kids to help with chores? Let us know in the comments below!
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