Help Wanted!

Every parent has had the same push and pull experience: How do you get children to participate in household chores?

Chores are an important aspect of growing up. They teach children responsibility and accountability. They build character and when accomplished, they give your children a reason to feel pride. However, there are often times when it seems easier to just do the chore yourself.

To avoid a struggle, here are four tips to get your children involved with daily tasks.

Let them know what you expect. When children know exactly what you expect of them, they are more likely to do it. Children want to please their parents. They simply need guidance and encouragement to stay on task.

Set deadlines. Giving children a timeline for when to accomplish specific tasks will help them learn to allocate time.

Have consequences. Children need to learn that all actions have consequences. If your child neglects a task, teaching her this lesson as an eight-year-old will be much less dramatic than when she is eighteen. In reverse, when your children do as you have asked, reward them with something meaningful.

Be respectful. It’s important that you are mindful of the abilities of your children and their other commitments. If your child is playing sports on a certain day after school, try not to load him down with chores on that day.