When you're a stay-at-home mum you can often think you should be the one that does all the chores. But getting everyone to help with chores is important. We may stay at home but that doesn't mean you should do everything for everyone else. As mums it is our job to raise our children while taking care of the house - and part of raising our children is teaching them about chores, teaching them to be self-sufficient, showing them how tough it can be taking care of everyone.
That's why it's a good idea to have everyone help with the chores.
Teach them what you do
There are few days when you get more than about 10 minutes to yourself - you know this. But do your family? By getting them to help with chores you're showing them how much work you do when they don't help. When the house is tidy despite them not doing chores they'll realise how much you're doing to keep the house running.
It is easy for your family to forget how hard you work and start to take you for granted, especially if you just plod along without asking for help. By getting them to help with chores you are letting them know you need time for you too.
Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shovelling the walk before it stops snowing.
Phyllis Diller
Chores for kids - why they should help
Getting the kids to help with the chores, or even giving them their own chores is an important job as a mum. When they're very young it's a good idea to get them involved in the cleaning, and once they're old enough to do a few jobs then you should introduce it.
There are many benefits to getting your kids to help with chores.
- Teamwork. Working together to make the house tidy. It may only be something small but it is teaching them that it's good to work with others.
- Confidence. By giving them chores, or getting them to help with yours, you're teaching them to be confident. You are helping them realise they can look after themselves, which is what parenting is all about right? When your child grows up and thinks they can take care of themselves our job is done - even though it might hurt.
- Responsibility. They take responsibility for their own chores, so if something isn't done they're the ones responsible. You're teaching them about getting things done when they say they will and how it affects others when they don't.
- Structure and routine. Have a checklist or a daily chart where you tick off chores done and this will help them with their routine. I have a checklist for my boys, and I have a cleaning routine too. On a Saturday we all pitch in to help with the chores and it goes much faster.
My boys have had a chores list for a while now and each day they have to work through it before they get to play their games. As much as they hate it they know the routine and they are aware of the rules. And I end up with a fairly tidy house most days - of course this isn't always the case but that's motherhood for you!
Discipline
Like I said, my boys have a chores list and know the routine. They also know if chores aren't done they don't get to do the things they like. I'm strict when it comes to chores (and homework for that matter) and I don't let them off very often. By sticking to my rules my boys have come to know the routine and rather than arguing about it they just get on with the chores. They know that once the chores are done they can play or watch TV, and the longer they argue about doing chores the less free time they'll have.
It doesn't always work, and sometimes arguments last all night and the chores don't get done. But this is a rare occurrence.
Teach your kids the rules and they will soon learn.
Teach them to be self-sufficient
Our main jobs as parents is to raise our kids so that at some point they will be able to leave home and both them and you will know they can take care of themselves. All the time we spend worrying about them doesn't stop (obvs) but knowing they are capable makes it a little easier.
By getting your kids to help with the chores you're teaching them about running a household and how hard it is. You'll get to teach them how to use a washing machine, because let's face it - everyone needs to know how to use one. You'll show them how to clean plates, and why it's important to clean the bathroom. All these things add up and when they leave home for university, or to get a house of their own, you can be confident they know how to look after themselves.
Get everyone to help with chores on cleaning day
We have a cleaning day on a Saturday. We all pitch in and clean the entire house and within a few hours everyone is finished and we have the rest of the day for fun stuff. Each of us has a room we focus on (the boys usually focus on their bedrooms) and once we're done we can have fun.
The idea of the cleaning day started because I was sick of having an untidy house all the time and getting everyone to help with the chores meant the house was tidy and we could focus on fun stuff rather than me spending hours cleaning while everyone else played their console games.
Having a cleaning day also helps them see that despite having daily chores there are still jobs to do at the weekend. Our chores don't ever go away and teaching them about that is an important lesson.
To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there.
Barbara Bush
As a stay-at-home mum you take on so much responsibility for the tidiness of the house, but really by getting everyone to help with chores you're teaching them a more important lesson. They shouldn't rely on you for everything and chores are a great way to teach them so. And of course, once the house is tidy you can sit down and have a hot coffee - which you definitely deserve!
Do you get everyone to help with chores?
Why not grab the Organised Mama pack and get your kids involved in cleaning the house so you can enjoy a coffee?
