3 Ways to Make Chores More Fun (so They Get Done!)

Did you dread doing chores as a child? We all know the importance of teaching children how to do age-appropriate chores like cleaning up their own toys, making their bed, sorting laundry and cleaning up spills. Here is how you can turn chore time into fun family time by using 3 positive parenting ideas:

Turn On the Music

shutterstock_285400406.jpgTime for cleaning up? Put on some music with a great beat and dance while you pick up. Your kids will love singing and coming up with creative moves. Put together a special "chore playlist" of their favorites. Add even more fun by making up your own silly lyrics to go along with the chores you are doing, or just nonsense rhymes. Chances are, a few of those songs will become favorite family memories.

Make Chores Family Time

Doing chores alone is never fun, so plan for chores to be family time. When you have longer chores, include breaks for a fun snack or plan story time for when you finish. Positive parenting seeks to teach children by working alongside them. Kids love knowing they have your undivided attention, so make chores fun for them by using that time to talk about the day or ask your child questions.

Use Your Imagination

One of the best positive parenting tips is to take advantage of a child's imagination. Pretend you are bad monkeys in a jungle who are stealing all of the bananas (toys) and putting them (in the toy bin) where the other monkeys can't find them. Be a detective looking for missing shoes, or a pirate searching for treasure. Put a bomb (timer) underneath a pile of clothes and challenge your child to put them all away before the bomb goes off. Make chores into a game by racing to see who can finish first or clean the best. Even boring jobs are more fun if you tell silly stories while you work. Vary chores by picking up things by color, pulling chores out of a hat, or pretend to be fairies picking up after very dirty children!

The bottom line—when you make chores fun, they get done. Be creative! Kids Konnect preschool seeks to support home training by teaching children to have fun doing classroom chores together. What is your favorite way to make chores fun for your kids?