So I’ve been trying to get my kids more involved in household chores, but I’m not sure about the best way to motivate them. I’ve heard about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, but I’m confused about how to apply these concepts when it comes to chores. Should I be offering rewards, or is there a way to make the chores themselves more appealing? Any advice from parents who’ve had success with this? I want to teach them responsibility without making it feel like a punishment or bribe.
I’ve found that turning chores into a game can really change things. We started with a ‘cleaning race’ where we’d set a timer and see who could tidy up the most in 10 minutes. My kid loved it and started asking to play.
We also let him choose which chores he wants to do each week. It gives him a sense of control. Sometimes we offer small rewards, but mostly we focus on how his help makes our home nicer for everyone.
It’s not perfect, but making it fun and giving choices has made chores less of a battle in our house.
We’ve had good luck with a mix of things for chores. Our kids have a simple chart where they can pick some tasks they want to do. They like having a choice.
We talk about how their help makes our home nicer for everyone. That seems to make them feel good about pitching in.
Sometimes we do small rewards, like extra TV time or a special snack. But we try not to overdo it. We noticed they started feeling proud just from seeing how much they’ve done on their chart.
It took some time, but now chores are just part of our normal day. The kids don’t always love it, but they understand why it’s important.
I’ve been trying different things with my 5-year-old for chores. We started with a simple chart where she could pick tasks she wanted to do. It helped her feel like she had a say.
We also tried making it fun, like racing to see who could put away toys fastest. She really got into that!
I’m curious about how other parents handle rewards. Right now we sometimes give small treats, but I worry if that’s setting the wrong expectation. Have you found ways to motivate without always giving something?
And how do you explain to young kids why chores matter? I try to talk about how it helps our family, but I’m not sure she fully gets it yet.
It’s a learning process for both of us. Some days go great, others not so much. But we’re figuring it out together.
I remember struggling with this when my kids were younger. What worked for us was a mix of both types of motivation. We started with a simple chart and small rewards, which got them interested at first. But the real change came when we involved them more in household decisions.
For example, we’d let them pick which chores they wanted to do each week. This gave them a sense of control. We also talked about how their help made a difference for the family. Over time, they started to feel proud of their contributions.
We didn’t completely drop the rewards, but we shifted focus. Instead of always giving something tangible, we’d do things like family game nights or extra screen time. This way, the reward became more about family time or privileges they valued.
It took some trial and error, but eventually, doing chores became more about being part of the family team than just earning rewards. 
We started small with a chore chart and points. Kids picked tasks they liked. Made it a family thing, not just about rewards.
They got more into it when we talked about how their help mattered. Now it’s just part of our routine.