As parents, it’s important to teach our children how to help around the home as early as possible.

There are numerous benefits to teaching them these skills, and helping around the house provides opportunities for children to contribute to the family in meaningful ways.

What’s more, empowering children at a young age to feel morally obligated and have a sense of accomplishment from helping can become sources of strength that build resilience.

This in turn will also nurture their confidence and teach them accountability.

But how do you go about teaching it?

A great way to teach your kids about household responsibilities is to start small and make it fun!

As they get more comfortable with these activities, you can add on more, and don’t forget to thank them for their help.

Folding the Laundry

One of the first things I got my son Nick to help me with was laundry.

When he was really small he would follow me everywhere, including the laundry room, so I took this as an opportunity to involve him in the process.

He can do it all by himself from scooping the detergent powder to separating whites from colors.

I’m so proud of him and I know he is too.

In the videos below, check out his tutorials on folding various clothes items to lessen the load on mom and help around the house.

How to fold pants

How to fold t-shirts

How to fold underwear

Here Are Some More Tips on How to Introduce Household Responsibilities to Your Children

01. Show them why and how it’s done

When you do something around the house, explain the task you’re engaged in.

Tell your little one why their help is needed and explain the consequence of not helping.

For instance, mom is exhausted and won’t have enough energy to go get ice cream if she doesn’t get help with tidying.

Tread lightly when explaining the consequences, you don’t want to make it a guilt trip or a threat! Never force kids to do anything, get them invested instead.

Soon enough they’ll begin to understand why helping is important and that their contributions are very much appreciated and needed, not just wanted.

02. Be consistent

Household responsibilities are not one-off tasks and children should know it.

Whatever task you choose to start with, engage your child with it on a regular schedule.

This way, they can better execute it and ensure that the method is not forgotten.

03. Set reasonable expectations

It’s important to set reasonable expectations for your children. They may not be as tidy as you are, but their contribution is still incredibly valuable.

Trust that they’ll do the best that they can for their age, and with a little encouragement, patience, and support from you, they’ll be great helpers in no time.

03. Motivate Them To Help

Ask your children to choose what they would like to do around the house.

As long as it’s reasonable and beneficial for their growth, don’t impose tasks they hate on them. Forcing a child to do things is never a good thing when you can motivate them instead.

04. Make It fun and Show Gratitude

Encourage kids with praise when they do something well and show genuine appreciation and gratitude for their help.

In our own home, for example, every night before dinner, we say a prayer together, point out what each family member does and we thank them for their help that day.

Like helping others, appreciation goes both ways. Showcasing authentic gratitude will teach your children to appreciate your effort in raising them too.

With the simple tips above, you too can discover that it’s not hard to inspire your children to help around the house.

I invite you to share Nick’s videos with your children to introduce the task and show them how easy folding their clothes can be.

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You can also contact me or subscribe to my newsletter here.

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