I’m trying to get my kids more involved with chores and helping around the house but I don’t want it to feel like punishment or nagging all the time. I’ve heard positive reinforcement works better than just telling them what they’re doing wrong.
Anyone have ideas for making household tasks more engaging for kids? My kids are 6 and 9 if that helps. I’m looking for creative ways to motivate them that actually work long-term, not just bribing them with candy every time.
I love the music idea! My 5 year old gets so excited when we turn on songs during cleanup time. We’ve been trying different things lately and I’m curious about the choices approach you mentioned. Right now I’m struggling with consistency. Some days my child is all about helping, other days it’s like pulling teeth. Do you think at 5 they’re still too young for the helper badges system? I tried a sticker chart but it kind of fizzled out after a week. Maybe I made it too complicated? Also wondering how you handle the days when they just don’t want to help at all. Do you still praise the effort even if they barely tried?
We made a simple chart where they earn points for different tasks. Once they hit certain milestones, they get to pick a family activity or stay up 15 minutes later on weekends. Works better than individual rewards since they help each other out too.
We started doing this thing where each kid gets to be the ‘household helper of the week’ and they get to choose one special thing - like picking what we have for dinner or getting to stay up a little later to read. My kids are similar ages and they really love taking turns being in charge.
Another thing that’s worked for us is making it feel like they’re actually helping me accomplish something important rather than just doing busy work. So I’ll say things like ‘I really need your help getting the living room ready for movie night’ and they feel like they’re part of making something fun happen.
I’ve also noticed that when I do chores alongside them rather than just watching, they stick with it longer. We’ll fold laundry together while talking about their day or listening to a podcast they like. It becomes more about spending time together than just getting stuff done.
What really shifted things in our house was when I started noticing the good stuff they were already doing instead of only pointing out what was missing. I’d make a big deal about how my son put his plate in the dishwasher without being asked, even if his backpack was still on the floor.
For kids around 6 and 9, I found that giving them choices worked really well. Like asking “Do you want to tackle your room first or help me with the kitchen?” instead of just assigning tasks. They felt more in control and complained way less.
One thing that surprised me was how much they loved having “helper badges” - just little stickers I’d put on a calendar when they pitched in. Nothing fancy, but they’d show their friends and grandparents. The recognition seemed to matter more than any reward I could buy.
Some weeks they were super into it, other weeks not so much. That’s normal. What stuck was praising the effort, not just the perfect result.
My daughter actually started helping more when I began playing music during cleanup time and we’d race to finish before our favorite songs ended. She loves the challenge and now asks to help with dishes just so we can have our little dance parties. Sometimes I’ll set a timer for 10 minutes and we see how much we can tackle together before it goes off.
The recognition seemed to matter more than any reward I could buy.