Cynthia John

Juggling parenting, household work, office work, socialising and multi-tasking can drain your energy. Therefore getting kids involved in household chores

to help out is beneficial in several ways

• Helps children learn skills and responsibility
• Builds their self-esteem, knowing they are making a meaningful contribution to the family unit
• Enables quality family time together
• Makes work easier for all family members.

It’s never too early to get children involved in helping out. Even 18-month-olds can learn to put away their toys in their respective boxes.

Make it routine
Children like knowing what to expect and what to do next. Linking chores to relevant activity can turn chores into habit. For example, get your child to clear up the study table and put her stationery in place right after Homework Time.

Children can also straighten their pillows and keep bedsheets in a corner if they are not old enough to fold them.

Work together
First, sit and plan chores division with all family members. There’s no need to divide chores ‘equally’ Let the child/children choose their own chores. Each one can do some work better than others. If there are chores no one wants, add some fun to them: “The person who clears the table gets an extra serving of dessert.”

Finding chores to fit age
As long as a child can handle a task alone safely without supervision, it can be allotted. But it’s safer not to ask them to use appliances, unless it’s done under adult supervision.

If young children need to be reminded of their chores, they can have an illustrated reminder chart stuck on the door at their height. For example, if a three-year-old needs to put his dirty clothes into the laundry basket, simply draw a laundry basket. Check the list to see if everything has been done.

Weekly tasks
If there are weekly tasks that need to be done such as dusting or cleaning cupboards and desks, plan a weekly ‘Family Chore Time’ on Saturday evenings or whenever suitable. During those 15-30 minutes, all members of the family do their respective chores. You can play music and crack jokes while you are at it. Making it a fun time for the family will make it special.

Chore-sharing can reduce stress and fatigue for every family member, and is ideal for family bonding.