Teaching young children to take part in housework takes time, patience, work and perseverance.
In short, it's quite a hassle. Why invest in it anyway? So there are good reasons.
First, doing homework teaches children skills of organization and planning a sequence of actions.
Even a simple task, such as sweeping the floor, requires organizing the necessary tools, clearing chairs and planning the work in the space of the room so that it is efficient. In addition, children who know how to do things at home get a good sense of ability and strength and a feeling that their parents trust them. For example, a child who knows how to clean dishes in the dishwasher will feel that his parents trust him even with glassware. Finally, sharing household chores can create an experience of a close-knit family working together towards goals. The children will feel important and meaningful within the family system that also depends on them.
So how do you do it?
First of all, take into account that this is an investment that will not yield a profit immediately. In other words, you will need to spend time demonstrating tasks, actually helping your child perform them, encouraging, insisting on refusal and monitoring the result.
We start by deciding on the nature of the task that the child will perform. It is important that the task be age-appropriate and that during the task the child can be near the parent to receive support and help. For example, the first task you choose should not be tidying up the room because most of the time it will not be near the parents. You should prefer simple kitchen tasks or any other task that is in a common area of the house. It is very important to adapt the house and tools for children: buy a stool for the kitchen sink, buy a small broom and mop, place plates and glasses within their reach, etc.
It is very useful to plan in advance what you will explain to the children and how you will present the importance of the new partnership you are forging. For example, "We are a family and we work together to make our home comfortable. Everyone does according to their ability. Mom does the… and you do the…”.
It is important to repeatedly demonstrate the task if necessary, be sure to say a kind word while performing the task and at the end. Usually, children will take a long time to complete a task (at least at first) - don't despair and don't be tempted to "let them go" and take it upon yourself to finish the task. In the same way, make sure that the quality of the execution is reasonable and if necessary, buy them and insist on a relatively high-quality execution. Such an approach teaches children how to persevere and conveys a message that you trust them to be able to handle difficulties.
One last and very important point, don't be moved by refusals and objections. That's part of the point. Be confident in the vision that directs you to a functioning and cooperative family and strive for it even in the face of opposition. You will be surprised how quickly children learn to appreciate this.
