Household chores show children that families are built on helping one another. Chores also enable children to develop their confidence in completing tasks. However, your children may find it a bore to help out around the house. For parents, getting your children to be excited about completing their chores can be a challenge, as well as making sure they are assigned the task suited to their abilities. Nevertheless, once you get them going, you might be please to see that your child is focused and completes the task at hand.

Chores don’t have to be a bore! Make it into a game, give the young ones a personal objective, and you’ll quickly erase their perception that chores are a chore. And the earlier you start, the sooner you make your young ones see themselves as effective contributors to the household. Here are 3 tips on how to turn household chores into play for children.

1. Turn It Into A Family Workout

When children are inspired, their intrinsic drive for fun can motivate them to complete any task given to them. As a bonus, household chores can double up as quality fitness time! Sprinkle some creativity into your household routine and help your children build active and healthy habits. Turn up the music and let your children dance along to their favourite beats! Take it further by competing with them for the best dance moves while sweeping or mopping the floor.

2. Race Against Time

Try adding an element of competition to motivate your children. For example, you could create a timed challenge for folding towels and stacking them neatly into their drawer. The fastest and neatest wins the coveted prize of, say, deciding what dessert will be at dinner! At the end of a productive week, impress upon your children the positive impact of their contribution: now mum/dad has more time to plan family activities like movie nights with pizza!

3. Pitch In Together

Young children respond better when household tasks are presented as a shared family responsibility. Allowing them to offer their input makes them feel needed, giving them a sense of purpose and some measure of autonomy. Arrange it such that the children can ‘level up’ to more complex or difficult chores when they’ve successfully accomplished the simpler duties such as wiping the table after dinner. Give them a reason to want to do their chores well.

Showing your little ones that chores can be enjoyable could go a long way in developing positive and healthy habits for the future. While the task may not be done perfectly, remember that it is ultimately the lesson learnt behind each activity that matters most – and the fun of doing things together as a family!