Chore Charts For Kids - Helpful For Kids and Parents

One of the biggest issues parents have getting their kids to do their chores is having to constantly remind them. Parents will often spend more time reminding kids of their chores than it takes to actually do the chore. For very young kids, this really is to be expected. A preschooler will require much more reminding and encouraging than a third grader, although some reminding and encouraging will always be needed for any child, even teens.

Having a chore chart for your kids can make things easier for you and them. A chore list with their daily and weekly chores is a helpful way to set their goals in front of them and check them off as they are accomplished. It also places more of the responsibility in the hands of the child, as the chore list becomes a separate entity from the parent. The parent merely has to say, "Check your chore chart." Reminding them becomes less of a daily chore for you, and your child becomes more empowered with their responsibilities.

There are chore charts for preschoolers who may still be learning to read, with pictures to help them identify the chores on the list. A chore chart for young kids may include basic tasks that need to become daily habits, like brushing their teeth and making the bed. A variety of printable chore charts can be found online that would be age appropriate for your kids.

One very important element to help remind and motivate your kids is an incentive. Kids don't often understand why these chores have to be done all the time, after all, the floor will be messy again tomorrow. Rewards are important for learning and experiencing a since of accomplishment since they don't feel or understand the benefit of the completed task the way the parent does. Rewards can vary by age, from playtime or a desired toy to a cash allowance. Whatever you decide is the best reward for your child, remember that your consistency with the rewards will help develop their consistency with the chores, and the responsibility chart can become a reward chart in the eyes of the child. You can even find chore charts with reward boxes below the list of chores for your child to check off once they have completed all of the tasks.