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A Clever Way to Get Kids to Do Chores

I found a clever way to get my kids to do their chores! And an added benefit is that it helps me give fewer commands to them. Less of this kind of talk: Take out the garbage! The dishwasher needs to be unloaded. Put your books away, please.

Since my children are getting a little older — 11 and 12 — I want them to get in the habit of seeing what needs to be done and doing it. (Don’t you just love the sound of that?!) That’s where the “chore scan” comes in.

When my children get home from school, instead of pointing out their messes, I say, “Chore scan.” That’s their cue to look over their chore chart and figure out if anything needs to be taken care of. So when my son looks at the list and sees “Garbage,” he can then check to see if the kitchen trash can is full or if it’s the day to wheel the cans to the curb. My daughter sees “Fold clothes” on her chore chart so she heads to the dryer to see if there are clothes that need folding.

Eventually, I hope they’ll be able to scan without even looking at their chore charts. One can hope, right? Do you have a secret to getting your kids to help out without you nagging them?

ASK YOUR CHILD...

Have I ever told you what chores I did when I was your age?

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