Have Fun Creating Chores for Your Children

School will let out soon, and Spring is here. It’s a time to think creatively … whether that’s planting or what our kids will do to fill their summer vacation. Have fun creating chores for your children.

Summer 2021 is a great time to begin new routines.

Life has been a mess for everyone, and getting back to a new normal with some healthy and fun changes is a great idea.

In general, picking up and keeping your home organized is a good Feng Shui practice.

I met with a client once to discuss their landscaping. Due to funds, they have decided to do the labor themselves. Their main concern was digging as this activity is one that is physically challenging for many of us.

I suggested he enroll his son. He laughed, saying any chore he asks his son to perform becomes such a battle that it is easier to do it himself. Sound familiar? Well, if whining about it enough gets a child out of it, guess what… it worked and they’ll continue that pattern.

Can you teach a young dog (or child) new tricks (or an old dog a new twist)? Yes, you can!

Allow me first to begin by saying that paying your child an allowance to perform chores also establishes a pattern.

I believe that’s an area that we (and I include myself here) have set the stage for instant gratification. CEOs have been queried regarding the new workforce. One of their complaints is that our youth not only want premium starting wages but a bonus for showing up for work.

We can teach our children that their contribution is part of the whole—meaning, as a household member they need to help maintain the household!

As a human on this planet, we need to help maintain it. It goes without saying that some adults could learn this lesson too, but I digress. Now, allowances may not apply to teens, as they need to learn money management. Parents (and schools) would do well to teach teens how to save, budget, spend, and invest. Help them learn lessons that we didn’t (thus why credit card debt is so high).

What if you teach your child that chores can be fun? There are tons of great resources online for printable checklists.

So, a few tips to have fun creating chores for childen:

• Place treasures for them to find.
  • Put treasures under piles of clothes they are going to fold
  • Under stacks of papers to be put away
  • Hide under heaps of toys they are picking up
  • Put under things to be dusted.

Treasurers are in the eye of the beholder, in other words, what would a treasure be for your child?
How about a gift certificate for an afternoon with you to do whatever they want? Of course, be prepared for what may come, and you may be delighted at their creativity. Take this opportunity to teach them about SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely). Avoid using money or food, and try to accommodate their request within a few days. This method will fail if you never get around to honoring their request.

• Create a list of chores for each child and as they complete a task, check their list with a smiley face or star. It is a good idea to show children the concepts of tracking and accomplishment.
  If all tasks are complete by the end of the week, present them with a ribbon of some sort, for example, one that says “I make a difference” or “I helped my mom and dad today” or “Super Cleanup Hero!“.

• Have a race. Set a timer for 8 minutes. The child who puts items into their rightful place wins.
  Another idea can be for you to identify items that need to be gathered (trash, recycling, items to be donated, etc.) and whoever collects the most in that time wins.

• Appoint someone to be Inspector D. Clutter on MSN.com. This is one that I read in an article at MSN.com. Armed with a laundry basket and badge you made beforehand, the child looks around the house and puts stray belongings into clutter “jail” (the basket). To set an item free, they have to put them in its right place.

For all of these ideas, you can then give them a certificate to do their favorite thing, have an ice cream cone, or let them watch a movie of their choice make it a family night!

It’s up to us to build our support team and our children can be an integral part of it.

I find most people (adults and children) really do want to help but sometimes don’t know how to.

You need to keep in mind that as part of their learning process, children will experiment with commands, boundaries, and rules.

Show your kids healthy ways to deal with all of them. Try to have fun creating chores for children. Let me know how the tips work for you. And most importantly, make it fun! They will learn to enjoy doing chores, which is a win-win for everyone! Remember that picking up and keeping your home organized is a good Feng Shui practice.

If you’re interested in learning about Feng Shui for your home, read more here.