Kids Can Help with Household Chores
Easy Ways to Get Children to Assist Around the House
Nov 15, 2009
Children love to spend time with parents, and they are also eager to please mom and dad. Often, parents will have their children play in their rooms while they spend time on household tasks. Why not have kids participate in the activities they can? It's time spent together while completing necessary chores. It also instills in children the need to do their share while empowering them.
Of course, it varies by age. Young children and toddlers won't be able to do as much as older children, but only a parent will know his own child's capabilities. Start out small and go from there. It's cleaning and bonding time.
How Kids Can Help with Laundry Chores
Laundry can be a daunting task for parents, especially when kids' clothes enter the mix. While young children can't take over the task, they can still help mom out. Here are a few things one's child might be able to do:
- A child can help with sorting laundry. Why not teach a child how to sort out separate piles of linens, lights, darks, etc.? Some children might not be ready for this task, but many will be.
- Children can also help with loading the washing machine. While a parent might not want to have her child actually pour in the laundry soap, she can spend some time explaining that the detergent must be measured, and how to choose a cycle and temperature. Again, how much is explained will depend upon the maturity of the child.
- Children can help fold clean, dry laundry. Obviously, a child will not be able to fold a sheet very well, but chances are he will be able to fold washcloths. He can also help put clothes away in their proper places. Even if a child only folds two washcloths while mom folds seven towels, it is time spent together.
- Children can even help with pre-laundry tasks. When a child puts on his pajamas at bedtime, he can be taught that his dirty clothes always go into the laundry hamper.
How Kids Can Help with Kitchen Chores
Meals are usually a family gathering time, so why not have kids help with preparation and cleanup? Mom or dad will usually be the one putting the meal together, but there are often small tasks little ones can help with.
- Kids can help sort ingredients. If dad reads off the recipe that they need two cans of refried beans, he can show the child where they're located (provided they're within the child's reach) and let the child set them on the counter.
- Some children can open cans. It depends on the age of the child and the type of can opener.
- Some children can help with other meal preparation tasks, such as grating cheese or washing fresh vegetables.
- Children can always help set the table. Even if the child is too young to set out the plates and glasses, she can usually put out silverware.
- Regarding cleanup, at the very least, a child can throw away her napkin and carry her cup to the sink. Older children can scrape their dishes or even help load the dishwasher.
Other Ways Kids Can Help Around the House
There are a variety of ways children can help with household tasks. Sometimes all it takes is an imaginative eye. Kids can frequently pick up their own toys or pick up their own trash. Parents must decide if their child is mature enough to handle particular tasks, and then take the time to show them. Children are usually eager to please and spend time with parents, so involving them in chores is a natural. As they grow older, most children need little supervision and will many times ask for more chores if they can earn an allowance.
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- Teaching Environmentalism to Kids: How Children Can Learn the Concepts Reuse, Reduce, Recycle
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