There are no two ways about it: getting your kids to help with chores can be a real chore! 

Sometimes it feels like taking the bins out yourself would be faster (and easier) than arguing with your children

about them having to do it.

The truth is, your kids need chores.

Chores help our kids develop essential life skills: responsibility, cooperation, and teamwork.

Chores foster a sense of self-worth and belonging.

Chores prepare kids to be self-sufficient in the future.

And you need to figure out how to get your kids to do chores - without complaining, whinging, or declaring that

you're the meanest mum ever.So let's jump into how to get kids excited about chores!

Start Young: They might have tantrums, and their attempts to "help" can be counterproductive (just allow a

toddler to help you fold the washing, and you'll see what we mean), but toddlers are natural little helpers. You

might just need to tap into some superhuman patience! Even if your kids are a bit older, they can still learn all the

skills. It might involve more effort on your part ... and more complaining on theirs. No matter their age, the best

time to start is NOW.

Start Small: Breaking down bigger tasks helps kids stay motivated with chores and builds confidence.

For example:

Instead of asking them to clean up a messy room, ask them to pick up the rubbish first, then move on to

putting the toys away.

When it comes to unloading the dishwasher, start with sorting and putting away cutlery. Once they master that,

add plates.

Introduce laundry tasks by teaching how to fold face washers and hand towels. Then match up socks or

sort clothes by colour. 

As your child gets the hang of each small task, they will feel proud and more confident to help and

learn new skills.

Work Together: Everyone craves feeling important ... especially the kids (aka rulers) of the household ...

even if they say and act as if they don't want to contribute. Changing your mindset from "I'm in a hurry, so I'll just

do it myself" to "How can I include my kids?" will help to make them feel important and teach them to be helpful.

And they might just start talking about their day in the little moments when you're making dinner together or

sorting out the socks.

Make it Fun: It becomes less of a chore when we associate fun and happiness with chores!

Here are a few ideas:

Listen to music: Create a Spotify list of upbeat songs and get your groove on! We like to call it a "Cleaning

dance party!" 

Use chore charts and a reward system: Kids love chore charts. Let them choose what to add to their list of

chores to help them feel more in control. Obviously, there will be some non-negotiables here! Rewards can be pocket

money, having their fave meal for dinner or extra screen time.

Make it a game: Set a timer and race to pick up the lego, try and throw stuff in the bin from a distance or see who

can pick up the most. 

Stay patient, stay consistent, and try to think out of the box when turning boring chores into fun activities. ... you've got this!