Tips to Make Chores Quick and Fun

Getting your kids to get their chores done can be very difficult, especially in today’s age with abundant distractions. Here are some quick tips to help your kids get them done quickly, while having some fun.

1. Divide Your Tasks into Indoors and Outdoors

Tasks are done fastest and easiest when all similar ones are done at the same time. You should organize them into two overarching categories: Indoors and Outdoors. Your kids should get the outdoor ones done first, as they are more dependent on weather conditions.

2. Make a Chart

Have your kids track their chores and plan them out for the future using a chore chart. This will make them want to do them more, and make it easier to track. The more they track, the less they want to break a streak. If you have multiple kids, it could become a competition (you should decide if this is positive or negative).

If you can associate rewards with getting chores done, they will be more likely to complete their chores. Some parents like to reward kids based off of completion of chores. For example, kids can only play video games or watch TV if they get all of their chores and homework done by dinner time. If they get them done for a straight week on time, then they get an extra 30 minutes of screen time, a dessert, etc.

You can use a chore chart to track them. Write in the daily tasks and the weekly tasks. Be sure to make it a nightly routine to check them off, to review who completed their chores, and to make sure that everyone completes them before they go to bed. This is a great time for starting a chore chart.

3. Divide Your Chores into Sub-categories

This will make it easier to know what your kids need to do. They could be: “Kitchen Chores”, “Yard Chores”, etc. You can either divide them up to where one kid is in charge of each one (Kid 1 = Yard & Laundry, Kid 2 = Kitchen & Floors, etc.), or you could rotate chores between them.

4. Get the Right Supplies

Different tasks require different things. You will need the right supplies for each. You should make a list of what’s required for each one (perhaps at the front of your journal). Then figure out how quickly you go through your supplies.

If it takes you up to three months to go through one bottle of toilet bowl cleaner, then schedule out for every three months to buy a new bottle of toilet bowl cleaner. Always keep the supplies in a safe place. Read the warnings on the back.

You might want to have your kids plan out when the supplies need to be bought. It encourages them to be completely responsible for their chores.

5. What About Others?

Some chores can’t be scheduled. You don’t know when birds are going to build a nest in the wreath on your front door, and you don’t know when your tree is going to decide to drop a limb in your flowers. Unlike your regular chores, these are unpredictable.

For these chores, stay calm, and have the right materials on hand (or hire someone who does). If you have pest issues that you can’t take care of by spraying, hire an exterminator. For chores for which you are not prepared, it is much better to hire a professional to fix it than it is to make it worse by messing up.

Chore Tip: For chores that involve any dangerous or toxic chemicals (bug infestations, wasp nests, leaking appliances, etc.) don’t have young kids do it. Have your older kids do it, wearing gloves. This also goes for gross jobs (cleaning gutters after a storm) or jobs in which you might get cut (trimming tree limbs).

6. Look for Important Dates

If you can avoid it, don’t have them do difficult tasks on important days. No one wants to clean the toilets or mow the lawn on Christmas Day. As for those that are absolutely necessary, make them a family event. Don’t leave cleaning the dishes on Thanksgiving, or cleaning the floor on Christmas, to just one kid.

7. Make Them Fun!

Even if your kids can get their chores done fast, they may still hate them. Here are some ways to make them more fun for your kids.

Let them listen to music while they’re doing the chores. While this may be distracting for some kids (or for specific tasks), it can make difficult tasks seem easier. You can play it out loud for them to hear, or perhaps let them use an MP3 player (or phone).

Make it a game or a competition. Perhaps you can give a “prize” (a sticker, a cookie, or something else) to the kid who finishes his chores first).

Switch it up. Try switching chores occasionally. This can add variety to the daily routine. You might want to consider doing this once every two months (only swap one at a time).

8. Divide Tasks

Divide the tasks up according to expertise and ability. If someone is better at weeding, then have them do the weeding. Your older/stronger kids should do the tasks that require more strength (pressure washing, lawn-mowing, tree trimming, etc.).

The kids that have more of an eye for detail should do the more detailed work (dusting, sweeping, weeding, etc.). If anyone likes a particular chore, have them do it. Although it is really unlikely, if multiple kids like one chore, you can either have them swap daily, or have them work on it together.

I hope this article helped you! If it did, be sure to check out other articles on planandorganize.com. It is a useful site for finding articles on anything you need help with!