Young children often want to participate in household chores and thus help their parents. We sincerely encourage you to take advantage of their enthusiasm and get them used to small chores. This process should start with the chores that the toddlers want to do themselves, while gradually adding the chores around the child: brushing the teeth (at the beginning, later the parent does it!), picking out clothes from the wardrobe, getting dressed or making the bed. Systematically, in small steps, as the child grows older, more responsibilities can be added, according to the child's possibilities.
It is worth following the child's needs, trusting them.
When he wants to vacuum, and we know that a 2-year-old won't do it thoroughly, let him. It is then less important to have a well-cleaned home and more important to stimulate the child's intrinsic motivation.
Homework appropriate for a 3-year-old
Examples of household 'chores' that we can begin to implement and enforce with 3 year olds include, but are not limited to:
👍 cleaning up toys when playtime is over,
👍 Dumping rubbish in the bin,
👍 taking the dishes to the sink after finishing the meal,
👍 putting dirty clothes in the laundry basket,
👍 arranging shoes and hanging up the jacket in place after entering the house.
❗ Remember that doing the above chores, should be woven into the family's routine. If a parent leaves the dishes on the table, he or she cannot require the child to put them in the sink.
Children learn by imitation.
It is easier for a child to adapt to rules that apply to all members of the household than to specific demands placed only on them.
What effect does giving a child specific responsibilities have on the child?
Showing trust to a child and entrusting him or her with responsibilities that adults usually do builds up in the child:
👍 confidence,
👍 sense of responsibility,
👍 resourcefulness,
👍 self-reliance,
👍 a sense of duty and
👍 self-confidence.
Dear parents❗
We know that you will do everything Faster and BETTER and that you are in a big hurry..... you must never, under any circumstances, interrupt a child's activity. This sends out the message that he or she is not coping well enough and that he or she is not resourceful, and worst of all, the child may feel that he or she has let you down!
Just as important is not to force household chores, but to evoke intrinsic motivation so that your child wants to do them himself.
Do you want your child to help with household chores? Then never do it: 👇
👉 Don't complain in front of your child about responsibilities,
👉 Don't start the weekend with cleaning,
👉 don't give up your time together for household chores,
👉 Don't tell your child they can't cope,
👉a when using help to clean up, establish that toys are always cleaned up after themselves by the child.
What are the benefits of sharing household responsibilities?
Let the daily household chores be a ritual in your family and not a chore. If this is the case, the proper allocation of tasks in the future will relieve you as parents of the daily household chores, but above all will benefit your children in adulthood. Dutifulness, awareness, independence and resourcefulness will have a significant impact on your children's lives and how they will cope when the time comes to leave the family nest.
Authors:
Kamila Sobczak-Grzybowska
Child psychologist
Anna Bernaś
Physiotherapist
