Chores
While nannies, cleaning services, home chefs and home delivery laundry services are prevalent and needed, it is still possible to assign chores around your home in an effort to teach your child responsibility and ownership. Chores can be broken down into two categories: personal living space and communal living space.
With personal living space, you can assign your child simple daily chores such as making his or her bed before going to school, putting his or her clothes in the hamper before bed, putting dolls and toys back in their “homes” after play time etc; As a parent, you can make this a fun game. Making your bed can be worth five points, clothes worth 10 points and toys worth 10 points. The goal by the end of the day is to earn 20 points. If the child earns 100+ points by bedtime on Friday, then perhaps they are rewarded Saturday by going to his or her favorite park, by earning allowance money (see the article on allowances) or something else rewarding. Teaching your child how to maintain his or her personal space at an early age is a great way to instill responsibility and ownership in his or her living space.
Communal living space, oh, this is very important. Hopefully, one day your child will share a dorm room. From early stages, you can teach your child the importance of keeping communal space tidy. Whether it is a shared bathroom with a sibling, the living room, bonus room, kitchen or dining room, children’s shoes, toys, clothes, food and other items have a way of cluttering communal places. With young children, you can instill the point game in the communal places giving each room a value of 5 points. As your child matures you can determine his or her allowance based on how he or she keeps his or her items picked up and put away. It is appropriate to also do a clean sweep of the home every night before your child or teen goes to bed. This will instill tidy, cleaning habits and help keep your home organized.
Chores do not have to be demanding or take up too much time. Once instilled as a daily way of life, your child will be able to adapt them into his or her routine. They are a rewarding way to teach your child how to take responsibility for his or her space, clothes, toys, towels, etc;
