7 Mistakes To Avoid When Making Kids Do Chores

Sponsored post by Busy Kid.

It’s easier to just let kids be kids and not bother them with household chores, but every parent knows that doing chores is an essential ingredient to raising capable, independent, and responsible children.

If you’ve been struggling to get your kids to do chores, you’re not alone. A lot of parents are going through the same thing, but know that it’s not an impossible feat.

You’ll have more success in making your kids do chores if you avoid these mistakes:
 
1. Failing to Assign Age-Appropriate Chores
 
Parents are aware of the role that chores play in teaching their kids about responsibility, but sometimes have a hard time convincing them. This is often because they overestimate or underestimate their children’s abilities.

Children tend to lose interest in things that are too hard or too easy for them. As parents, you need to know how to assess your kid’s capabilities and give them responsibilities appropriate for their ages. You can download a kids chore app to help you identify and assign age-appropriate chores for your children.
 
2. Not Having a Chore Routine
 
Many parents end up doing all the work themselves because they either don’t have time to remind their children to do their assigned tasks or teach them how to do them properly.

The easiest way to remedy this is to adopt a chore routine. Give your kids the same daily chores and then gradually add or move on to more difficult responsibilities as they get older. Remember that practice makes perfect. If they do the same things every day, they’ll master it in time.
 
3. Paying for Every Chore
 
While there’s nothing wrong with rewarding your children for their efforts, they should understand that they don’t get paid for every little thing they do. When you create a home culture where everything merits a reward, soon enough you won’t get them to do anything unless you give them something in return.

If your kids want to earn extra money, they can take on jobs that are over and above their daily tasks. You can transfer the payments to a kids debit card and take the opportunity to teach them how to save and invest.

4. Waiting Until They’re Older

Your kids are not too young to start doing chores. There are plenty of tasks that even toddlers are completely capable of doing like putting their toys away, throwing dirty clothes in the hamper, and helping fix their beds.

Small kids are actually more eager to help out around the house. The younger you start giving your children responsibilities, the easier it will be to develop the habit.
 
5. Criticizing Your Children’s Efforts
 
In the grand scheme of things, making toddlers and preschoolers do chores can be more trouble than they’re worth. But it’s important to let them do it anyway. The same goes for older children who are starting to learn and take on new responsibilities.
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Even if you’re not satisfied with the quality of their work, don’t criticize your children’s efforts or show your disappointment. When they do something right, compliment them. And when they make mistakes, demonstrate the right way to do it.
 
6. Yelling at Them When They Resist or Complain
 
A lot of parents lose their cool when their children resist or complain about doing chores. No matter how frustrated you are, yelling at them will do you any good. Remember that chores will always be a battle of will.

On some days, it can be a challenge to get your kids to do anything. When this happens and you feel your pressure rising, take a step back and calm yourself down. The last thing you want is for your children to associate chores with anger and negativity.
 
7. Failing to Explain the Purpose
 
At some point, your kids will begin to question why they have to do chores when they could be doing something fun instead.

Make sure your children know why it’s important for them to work and contribute as members of the family. Understanding how the things they’re doing now can benefit them, especially when they’re older, might motivate them to help out more.
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About the Author:
Samantha Green is the Content Marketing Strategist for the MCA award-winning app, BusyKid, the first and only chore and allowance platform where kids can earn, save, share, spend, and invest their allowance. A mom of two, she enjoys spending time with her kids and reading books to them.