How to Encourage Children to do Chores

Busy households need all the help they can get. Cooking meals, cleaning, doing laundry, mowing grass, hauling out the garbage and caring for pets are just a few of the many tasks involved in maintaining a home. Parents who encourage their children to help around the house are preparing them for life as independent adults. They're also teaching them the value of pitching in and contributing to the well-being of the group. Children's self-esteem blossoms when they know they can provide real service to other people, starting with their families.

Instructions

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      Start when they're young. Allow toddlers to stand on a chair next to you and stir the batter when you bake, and give them a turn with the paint brush or roller when you paint a wall. Small children don't differentiate between work and play. They are just as happy helping you fold the laundry as playing a game. In fact, young children often view work as a game. Scholastic.com offers several ideas for making work fun, such as playing "Go Fish" with a basket of clean socks. Start by giving each player a certain amount of socks and leaving some in the pile to draw from. During each player's turn, the player holds up a sock and asks another player if he has the mate. If he doesn't, the first player has to draw a sock. At the end of the game, the player with the most pairs wins.

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      Make a helper chart. Scholastic.com suggests creating one chart for every child in the family. On the side of the chart, write a list of tasks the child can do, depending on his age. At the top of the chart, list the days of the week. Allow your child to place a sticker on the chart whenever he completes a task. Scholastic recommends bestowing a "Helper of the Week" award to the child with the most stickers on the chart at the end of the week.

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      Teach children organizational skills. Give each child a bucket with her name written on it with a marker, Scholastic recommends, and fill it with cleaning supplies, such as sponges, dust rags and paper towels. Live by the "a place for everything, and everything in its place" rule, and teach it to your children. Store toys in containers, hang coats on a rack or in a closet, keep pens and pencils in a cup or decorated tin can, and store items as close as possible to where they will be used. Virginia Tech suggests putting pictures on containers to show what goes in them so even small children will know how to put things away.

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      Increase responsibility as children get older to keep them engaged. Elementary school children love showing off what they can do. Let them vacuum the carpet, help prepare meals, wash dishes and feed and water the pets. Gardening is an excellent chore for children this age, according to an October 2011 article in "Metro Family Magazine." Children get a hands-on science lesson as they plan, plant and maintain the garden. Tweens can mow the lawn and take more responsibility in the kitchen by planning meals to prepare for the family and cooking them independently. Doing household chores is especially important for teens, according to the National Mental Health and Education Center, because they learn real-life skills. As they complete their chores, express your appreciation, so your teens develop self-esteem and confidence.

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