1. Hold a Family Chores Meeting
Rather than just handing out chores like a taskmaster, involve your kids in the process. Call a family meeting to discuss the matter. Make a list of jobs and ask who would like to assume the various responsibilities. Make sure there are age-appropriate options for each child. If your children resist choosing tasks, put the chores in a hat and have them draw for them. Ask your children to help establish consequences for shirking their chores. They'll feel more involved and will learn a sense of fairness if you give them a voice.
2. Make a Chore Chart
Draw up a chore chart that institutes deadlines for when each task must be completed and identifies who will be responsible for its implementation. Post it in a prominent place, such as the kitchen. By marking down when a chore is completed, you can also monitor which chores are still outstanding so that you can remind your children of their responsibilities. Use the chore chart to provide incentive. When chores are completed, place a gold star or another marker next to the responsible party's name and connect the gold stars to some type of reward.
3. Show and Tell Beforehand
At the beginning, do the chores with your children and give them instructions as you go along. Make it fun by playing music while you work, or making a game out of it. Offer praise when your child does something right. Eventually, your child should be able to do his chores independently, but you have understand any age limitations. Even with detailed instructions, it's unlikely that the results from younger children will be flawless. It's the effort that should be praised.
4. Switch Chores from Time to Time
Unless a child loves a specific chore, it's often helpful to rotate duties. You can have a family meeting every week or month to pick new chores, or you can establish a rotating schedule at the outset. Rotating chores allows children to learn different household skills they will need when they live on their own, and it prevents one child from getting stuck cleaning the toilets all the time. It's important to establish fairness when assigning tasks, or your chores eventually may resent them and you.
