Health

Teaching Caring by Sharing the Cleaning

One thing the pandemic taught many households over the past year or so is that roles are fluid. Whether picking up new caretaking duties or household chores, many families needed to redistribute the load when outside support was unavailable. This included getting the kids involved in helping around the home, if they didn’t already.

There are a lot of ways kids can help with tasks around the home and it’s been shown to teach responsibility and build self-esteem. The most important element is assigning chores that are age appropriate. They must be able to complete it safely. Here are some ideas:

  • Start small: Even a few tasks can help instill a sense of shared responsibility. Set kids up for success by identifying initial places to help, like sorting socks, and working up from there.
  • Embrace imperfection: Especially when they get started, kids will not be good at certain tasks. Figure out what you can live with and assign things you won’t get the urge to redo after they’re done.
  • Keep it light: Pitching in on chores is a fact of life when living in a family; however, it can quickly be a point of contention. Try to find ways to make it a neutral or even fun experience. It may help to offer a choice or build in an incentive.
  • Be safe: Look for tasks where kids can be successful and keep young kids away from cleaning products. There are other places they can help, like picking up toys or putting clean clothes away.
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