8 Household Chores You Can Involve Your Child

Do you find yourself cleaning up after your child every time? The trail of dirty clothes or the dirty plates on the table just lying there for ages unless you pick them up? It's time to sensitize your kids to the fact that household chores are meant to be shared. She might take longer to complete the tasks, and you will need to pitch in, but what matters is the effort. The feeling of pulling it off together happily, and grooming her by way of a realistic and practical way of living is worth it.

In this blog by pro-parent Neha Mittal, suggest about these...

• Dining table help 
• Putting things in the right place 
• Helping with laundry 
• Guest etiquette 
• Grocery shopping 
• Helping out with younger siblings and much more 

Household Chores You Can Involve Children

When there's a house, there are chores. And everyone in the family has equal responsibility towards them. This includes your child, too, when she's old enough to take them on. Here are some chores you can involve your child in.

1. Dining Table Help: Eating together is fun. Involve your child in preps, such as.
   • Setting the Table: Laying the mats, placing the salt and pepper, bringing the food out
   • Clearing Up: Removing the used dishes and plates, and cleaning the table when you are winding up the kitchen keeps them involved in the important ritual of meal-time!
   • Simple Meal Preparation: If your child is old enough, you can ask her to put together a salad (that may or may not need cutting, slicing depending on your child's age) or make some spicy chaas. There is absolutely nothing as gratifying as preparing a meal
2. Put Right Things in the Right Place: Never being able to find something you're looking for, is quite common. Teach your child that things go back where they belong, once they've been used.
   • Small things like their school stuff, newspapers, keys, bottles, and trash should be placed in their designated spaces
   • Things that are not too heavy or with no pointed edges can easily be managed. This lets them participate in another important task – cleaning and clearing up
3. Laundry Help: Laundry is another area where the work seems never-ending. Get your child involved by.
   • Loading the washing machine with the unwashed clothes(the right side up)
   • Folding small clothes, reusing the clothes that have been used for just a while
   • Arranging washed, folded clothes in the cupboard
4. Grocery or Household Essentials Shopping: This makes the children aware of what goes into running a house. If they are a part of the household essentials shopping, they won't undermine the importance of what a homemaker does. Involving them in billing and procuring makes them responsible for money matters and also helps them learn how to follow lists
5. Guest Etiquette: When a family member comes home or a guest arrives, teach your child to proactively and spontaneously get up and serve water or juice. While there are visitors, taking your child's help in serving and clearing will not make you look a harsh parent, but as a role model
6. Care for Personal Belongings: This will take up a lot of your child's time, and save you the energy and frustration.
   • Your child's belongings, like sports material, bags, stationery, accessories, and books should be handled completely by her
   • You should ideally help in sorting or placing the less utilized stuff on higher shelves, but that's it!
7. Help with Younger Siblings: Roping your elder child into the younger sibling's upbringing is the best way to teach her sharing and caring.
   • It discourages fights and the constant need to keep a watch on the children while they are playing
   • Here one needs to be careful that the child's academics and personal interests are not getting jeopardized; otherwise, it is tantamount to one child's nurturing at the cost of the other child's growth which is not ideal

Make sure your child grows up knowing the importance of taking responsibility at home. While we all need an extra helping hand with our own work from time to time, your child will also learn that chores are not just about “helping” but they're everyone's responsibilities. Whatever chores you give your daughter, make sure you allocate equally to your son. Your little boy will grow up into a sensitive, empathetic young man.

How do you keep your child busy at home? Tell us in the comments below!