3 steps to get kids to do chores

This is how we do things. Not saying it's perfect or it will work for everyone, but here it works pretty well if we do our part as parents (step 3)

Step 1. Make your expectations clear

We use these chore packs and have recently added a chalk board for jobs.

Also I try to remember kids can't do what they don't know how to do. Telling a kid to clean their room without showing them HOW and then showing them what you expect it to look like when they are done is just setting everyone up for frustration. The first couple times do it with them, talk about where things go. Make sure everything has a place. Even if that "place" is a bucket where 20 other things go too. They don't have to do it your way, they probably won't!

2. Explain WHY

Why are you assigning chores, or family contributions? It's probably similar for all of us and different in some ways too. Our kids handle things better when they know why they are being asked to do something. 

 For us, we want them to see and experience that families have to work as a team to get things done, it's not all fun and sometimes we have to do jobs we don't like to do. 

Building good work ethic, like work before play and doing your best are important too.

Step 3. FOLLOW THROUGH

Goodness knows how hard this can be! But this really makes all the difference! Sometimes as adults we get caught up in the things we NEED to get done. Taking that few minutes out of the necessary jobs to inspect kid jobs can seem like the first thing to cut out of our busy day. If you want them to be successful, they need to know when they are doing what you expect AND that you are going to check on their work. Praise for a job well done and showing appreciation for their work consistently is how they get motivated to consistently do the jobs they are asked to do.

Some tips

~don't expect perfection 

~keep jobs age appropriate 

~do them for them once in a while! It's a nice surprise for them

How we do chores
We come home from school, snack, chores then play and homework
Keeping the routine helps, kids know what to expect and hopefully they will remember work before play as adults, with the occasional exception :)