Children Helping Out With Chores At Home

Now that the kids are older, I can get them to help with household chores. It is too bad they have so much homework from school. Otherwise, I will get them to do more because at this age (9 and 11) they still love to help.

Helping at home starts from the time they are very young. They can help by picking up their own toys. Now that they are older they help with folding clothes, hanging clothes, washing fruits and vegetables, cleaning up their own tables (they each have their own small hand held broom and pan to sweep off eraser droppings and pencil shavings from the table), throwing the litter and many other small chores around the house.

Sometimes I give them the mop and say "Here you can mop anywhere you want?" Then they would stare at me incredulously and say "Anywhere?" surprised that I would trust them with such a big task. "Yes, anywhere." then I go and do something else and leave them to it. If it is the first time they are doing something, I will give them instructions or show them how to do it and then I would leave them to do it.

I find this a much better way then hanging around telling them what to do and how to do it the right way and how they are doing it wrong etc. When you get children to help at home, you have to do just that. Trust them. They may not do it the way you want it done so walking away is the best. They build confidence when you are not there hovering around telling them how to do it the right way.

It was not always this way. Now, I have learned to close one eye. Previously, I would get so upset about how much more mess was being created sometimes when they are helping. For example, when I am sick and the dad and boy decides to make the juices, the whole kitchen floor would be wet afterwards but now I've learned not to look at the wet floor and just enjoy my juice. In this way, it helps them and it helps me too and soon I find that it really helps to have them helping me. More chores gets done when I walk away and do something else.

Learning to close one eye also makes sure I don't redo their work which defeats the purpose of having them help in the first place. Finally, at long last, I have learned the art of having children helping out with chores at home.

I will teach them more chores as they grow up. Helpful children are not born. They are taught.

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