CHILDREN AND CHORES.

Doing chores is a tradition in many families. As parents/ caregivers, it is our duty to bring up responsible children and chores are a great tool to use when cultivating responsibility in our children. In addition to this, administering chores to our children is a great way of nurturing their skills. Here are some things to have in mind when considering which chores to allocate to your children:

Pitfalls to Avoid When it comes to Chores

Don't insist on perfection. No one is perfect, and it's better to have a more relaxed approach to how well your kids do their chores. Otherwise, you might have a struggle on your hands. Or you might jump in and do it for them, which would undermine the whole point.

Don't delay. You might think your child is too young. But your kids may be more capable than you think. Kids can do a lot of chores at an early stage, McIntire says. For example, getting clothes to the laundry or cleaning up after dinner. "We hold back too long because we think they ought to be ready first. But that puts the cart before the horse," he says. That is, they'll learn by doing.

Don't be stingy with praise. Get that praise going right away! Don't wait until the chore is done. Praise and encourage the child while the chore is in progress. You want to build positive momentum, especially with young kids.

Don't be inconsistent. Elizabeth Pantley, author of parenting books including Kid Cooperation: How to Stop Yelling, Nagging, and Pleading and Get Kids to Cooperate, says if your kids aren't expected to regularly follow through, they might start putting chores off in the hope that someone else will do them for them.

Make a Chores Chart

"Create a list of every job it takes to keep a family going," Fay says. Have kids pick out the chores they'd most like to do. Then create a chart.

First, check that everyone has an age-appropriate chore. Then divide the chart into three columns. One is for the list of chores and whose chore it is; another is for deadlines; the last one is for making a check mark when the chore is done. Put the chart where everyone can see it and let everyone follow through on their own assignments.

You might actually find it easiest to have two charts: one for daily household chores and one for weekly household chores.

Here are two more tips:

·         Be specific with instructions.  "'Clean your room' is vague and can be interpreted in any number of ways. Instead, be explicit by saying, 'Put your clothes in the closet, books on the shelf, dishes in the kitchen, and toys in the toy box.'"

·         Ease into chores for children. First, show them how to do the chore step by step. Next, let your child help you do it. Then have your child do the chore as you supervise. Once your child has it mastered, she's ready to go solo.

·         Go easy with reminders and deadlines. You want the chore to get done without you micromanaging it. Pantley recommends the "when/then" technique. For example, say, "When the pets are fed, then you may have your dinner."

Allowance for Chores?

Should your child get an allowance for chores? Usually not, say most parenting experts.

Chores are partly about responsibility and partly about learning household tasks. They're not focused on earning money. Yes, kids need to learn how to handle money, but not by doing chores they're supposed to do anyway.

It's especially important to not tie allowances to chores for younger kids because a younger child may be less motivated by money and simply choose to not do them.

There's an exception: For older kids who already know how to be responsible, money can become a nice motivator for doing EXTRA chores above and beyond their usual tasks.

You can let them bid on those extra chores and picking the lowest bid.

References

http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/parenting-challenges/motivating-kids-to-clean-up/age-appropriate-chores

http://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/chores-for-children?page=3