Teaching Your Children to Work - Part 3

Even as young as two and three, children can begin learning responsibilities. Children can be given simple chores that will teach them the responsibilities of taking care of their belongings, setting and completing goals, and of course the importance of hard work.

The best way to begin is by giving age appropriate tasks (chores). I recommend starting with something like cleaning up their toys. Even if you have an older child who somehow has gotten away with letting you do everything for them, picking up their toys is a great place to start.

Whatever the case or the task, make sure you are very specific in your expectations. Saying "clean your room" is very different than "pick up your toys" to a child. After your child is clear about your rules and expectations, additional chores can be added based on your child's age.

Here are some of the chores I expect my children to participate in:

The Princess and the Pea (ages 3 & 4 years)

clean up their toys
fold blankets, rags, towels
empty small trash cans
wipe windows
empty their own plates & clean their meal spots
sort laundry

The Three Stooges (ages 8, 10, 11 years)

the same chores as above plus...
sweep floors
make their bed

There are three important things to remember when assigning chores.

Attempts NOT Perfectionism

As children begin to learn new skills, parents should not focus on getting it done perfectly. On many occasions, the rags and blankets and towels the Princess and the Pea have folded make me cringe, but I have learned to let go of that. I simply go back behind them when they are not looking and fix it. The objective is not to have a nice neat stack of freshly pressed items. The goal is to complete the task. Constantly correcting your child when he is trying to help can be discouraging and make him less likely to want to help in the future.

Consistency

You must be consistent with what is expected of your child when it comes to chores. Expecting something today and then skipping it for several days, is not going to teach your child to be responsible. It will teach your child PROCRASTINATION! You must give your child a sense that what they are doing is important and needs to be done.

Praise

This is the most important part of all. Parents must always remember to thank their children for their hard work and efforts. If your child becomes frustrated or seems disinterested in doing their chores, again you must remind them that what they are doing is important and that you are counting on them. Offering to help is a great show of teamwork in an effort to finish a task and accomplish a goal. Bribing your children with treats is not necessary. A simple "Great Job!" and a big {hug} is all most children need to know they are appreciated.

Want to read more?

Teaching Your Children to Work - Part 1

Teaching Your Children to Work - Part 2