How to encourage a little help around the house

With the new school term starting, it’s time for us to get back into our daily routines. Fitting in the housework around busy lives can be difficult so getting the whole family involved can help spread the load. Chores will also teach children about hard work and responsibility – a valuable lesson in life according to the professional domestic cleaning company, MOLLY MAID. Try these top five tips to help encourage a little help around the house:

1. Involve the whole family. Approach housework as a family team, and you may be pleased to find that your little ones want to get involved! Resist the temptation to delegate out individual tasks. From a child’s point of view, it can be lonely carrying out chores without others around them. Include your child in conversations about setting goals, teamwork, and what it means to be a part of a family – even little ones enjoy having a say.

2. Focus on interests. If your child shows interest in the kitchen, enlist their help with making dinner or laying the table. Start with basic, simple tasks, like folding the napkins in half or adding ingredients to a big bowl of salad. By incorporating their interests, you can make helping fun.

3. Talk it through. Take baby steps when first introducing chores to younger children. Start by teaching a specific task in steps including what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. Be careful not to overwhelm young children with too much information. Set realistic goals too, you won’t get a five year old to spend an hour on cleaning!

4. Chose age-appropriate tasks. Take your child’s age into consideration when enlisting help with household chores. It is not only important to recognise which chores are realistic in terms of their abilities, it is also important not to ask your child to take on too much which can lead to frustration. Avoid redoing the task.  Accept that the child has done it, so they develop a sense of accomplishment and confidence.

5. Offer specific feedback and appreciation. Acknowledging a job well done will give your child encouragement and a sense of satisfaction. By recognising the contribution to the family, you are teaching your child the value of hard work and responsibility.  In the end, he or she will feel helpful and important and your load will feel lighter!

MOLLY MAID, the professional house cleaners, suggest that children may enjoy undertaking some of the below tasks to help around the house, perhaps set as challenges, depending on their ability:

• Setting and clearing the dinner table
• Dusting and tidying tasks
• Loading and unloading the dishwasher
• Emptying the rubbish
• Sorting laundry for washing, taking out & putting away
• Making their beds and tidy their room

Good Luck!

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