Teaching Children to be Big Helpers

As a parent, it is up to you to teach your children to be helpers. You need to motivate them to want to do chores. It is what will teach them to be responsible adults in the future. When kids are very young, they might want to help out; however, when they get a little older, it can be more difficult to motivate them. There are a few ways that you can teach your children to be helpers.

Withhold the WiFi Password

Most kids today, regardless of their age, rely on the WiFi password to play their games and communicate with friends. If you want to motivate your kids to do their chores, give them their list and tell them that they cannot have the WiFi password until their chores are done. Chances are they will get to work as soon as they get home from school so they can get the password as quickly as possible.

The Chore Bowl Punishment

It is not uncommon for kids to leave things laying around the house. Rather than getting mad about having to pick it up, use it as an opportunity. You can write down chores on small slips of paper and keep them in a bowl. If you pick up something that your child left lying around, they would be required to do one chore from the bowl in order to get it back. Not only will this teach your kids to pick up after themselves, you will also get some extra chores done.

Create a Chore Punch Card

Have you ever gone to a sandwich restaurant and have a card punched each time you buy a sandwich? After all of the holes are punched, you get a free sandwich. You can use the same concept with chores. Each time your child does a chore, punch their card. When the card is full, they get a reward.

The Chore Wheel

A chore wheel is a great way to get kids to do their chores without getting bored with the same one. You can create a wheel with several chores. Each child will spin the wheel and whichever chore the wheel lands on would be their chore of the day. It is a great way to mix things up a little.

Work For Hire Board

If you have older children and jobs that need to get done that are time-consuming, such as cleaning out the garage, cleaning the refrigerator, or mowing the grass, you can create a work for hire board. You would take a chore with a description of how you want it done and clip some money to the chore. If your child does the chore properly, they get to keep the money. Not only is it a good way to get things done around the house, it will teach them a valuable lesson about work ethic.

Any of the suggestions listed above will make helping out more fun and possibly lucrative for your children.  Teaching children to be big helpers, independent thinkers, and responsible citizens are important in Montessori education. Contact Montessori Childrens House today to schedule a tour and learn about how Montessori education can be a fit for your child.

This article originally appeared on Montessori Schools of Fremont’s blog.