I’ve been trying to motivate my kids to do their chores and homework, but I feel like I’m always resorting to bribery. You know, like “if you finish your math, you can have extra screen time” kind of thing. It works in the short term, but I don’t think it’s great in the long run. Does anyone have tips on how to encourage kids without always offering rewards? I’d love to hear what’s worked for other parents.
We use a checklist for daily tasks. Once they see progress and tick off items, they feel proud. We celebrate free time with family rather than rewards.
In our house, we’ve found that creating a positive environment around chores works well.
We have a family ‘accomplishment board’ in the kitchen. The kids get to put stickers on it when they finish tasks. It’s not about rewards, but they love seeing their progress.
We also chat about how doing chores helps the whole family. My 10-year-old started folding laundry after we talked about how it gives us more time to play games together.
For homework, we focus on the process. I ask what they learned or what was interesting, not just if it’s done.
It took time, but now they often do things without prompting. They seem to enjoy the sense of responsibility and being part of the family team.
I’ve been experimenting with chores for my 5-year-old too. We started a sticker chart for simple tasks like putting toys away. Some days it’s exciting, other days not so much.
I’m curious about how others handle consistency. Do you insist on chores daily or let it slide sometimes?
We’ve had some wins with turning cleanup into a race. My kid loves to ‘beat mommy’ putting blocks in the bin. But I worry this might not work long-term.
What age did your kids start doing chores without reminders? I’d love to hear what worked as they got older.
I’ve tried making chores more enjoyable at home.
One idea that worked for me was turning cleanup into a beat-the-clock game. We set a timer and aim to finish before it rings, which turns the task into a fun challenge.
My kid often happily joins in even outside chore time. Every household is different, though, so you might need to experiment a bit. Adding a playful twist has helped reduce our need for constant rewards.
Hey there! I remember going through this exact struggle. At first, I used rewards a lot too, but it didn’t feel right long-term. What worked for us was setting up a routine and sticking to it. We made a chore chart together, and the kids got to choose some of their tasks.
It took time, but they started to see chores as just part of our day, not something they needed a prize for. We still had treats and fun stuff, but they weren’t tied to chores anymore.
One thing that helped was praising their effort, not just the result. Like, ‘I noticed you worked really hard on organizing your closet!’ It made them feel good about doing the work itself.
Every kid is different though. My older one responded well to having more independence, while my younger one liked doing chores together. It’s all about finding what clicks for your family. 