4 Ways To Encourage Kids To Clean Up After Themselves

4 Ways to Encourage Your Children to Help with the Household Chores

Here is a few suggestions and alternative ways that may be helpful while you are in the process of establishing certain cleaning habits and expectations for your children.

1. Encourage your child by giving them a reward after they had finished with the cleaning up after themselves or helping with the daily chores. It may sounds weird but this is an effective alternative way to get your child to help clean up so that you can get them to clean up on a regular basis. The reward may be a little dessert(small piece), money, or they can earn time to play video games. You want your children to realize that there is a prize to motivate them to clean up after themselves and help out with the household chores.
2. Another way to get the kids involved, create a family schedule for assigning each family member specific chores to do and strictly follow the chart. This will ensure that each child will be responsible for getting the household chores down and it will get each child in the family to play an active part in completing the household chores. You could create a program so that everyone is responsible for their own cleaning habits. You should also highlight the fact that if the child does not perform the cleaning duties, someone else has to finish their chores and won’t be happy to do the additional chores. Teaching them responsibility now  will help them become more responsible, even if they are included on a team with certain duties. Payment for doing the chores is also a possible alternative but it is optional. Children shouldn’t be expected to earn an allowance for helping contribute to the household chores; however, creating small rewards are a great way to encourage the children. Try giving them other rewards like earning time to use towards video games, extra time to hang out with their friends, or even work towards earning a special trip.
3. Teach children how to follow the example of a older family member, nanny, or a professional cleaning company member. Get your children involved, have them learn how to properly complete do a specific chores by watching someone else do it correctly.  Then have your child attempt to do the chore by following the same steps that someone else used. This is an appropriate situation form which you can benefit because you are showing them your perfect cleaning skills and habits. At the beginning the child may be little suspicious and even reluctant to start this activity; however, if you catch their attention they will gradually change their mind and they will really take part into the cleaning process.
4. You can use discipline if you want to educate your children and help them establish certain habits. Whether you find yourself more tolerant or strict, it is essential for the children to understand that these duties must become part of their daily routine. They shouldn’t be spoiled or taught that they should receive everything without making any efforts. Only then they will realize that taking the responsibility is a major part of their lives. And why not starting with doing the chores?

These are some of the ways in which you could encourage children to help with cleaning duties in your home. It is not preferable to be too rigid because that could also lead to discouragement.  It is important that you insist on establishing good cleaning habits while they are young because this will certainly be beneficial when they move out into their own dorm, apartment, or in with a roommate. Maintaining these habits is more than important for preserving a good and proper hygiene in your home, which is vital for the health of the family.

Do you encourage your children to help with the household chores?