Kids and Chores

The other day the Bert Show (a locally syndicated radio show in Atlanta) asked the audience the best way to reward their children for chores. My wife heard the episode and suggested that I tell everyone my method. My wife and I have tried a lot of different approaches and none are 100% effective. Every method seems to work for a few weeks and then parents get lazy and then the kids get lazy and no one gets anything done.

Here are my simple rules

1. Don't make the chore ambiguous. Don't just say "clean the kitchen" break it down into excruciating detail. Kids don't do well with ambiguity.
2. Reward right away, not a week from now. This is where my favorite tool comes into play, an app called Chore Monster. This app is perfect for helping kids and adults because it lets kids mark their chores complete. It also teaches kids how to "save" money because as kids accumulate points they can get more valuable items. Please check them out.
3. Just accept the fact you will have to remind kids about chores every day. That was my biggest problem. I would always ask the kids "why can't you remember to put away your shoes?". Now instead of asking about every single chore I just say "Time to check my Chore Monster!" and there will be a flurry of activity as the kids run around doing their chores and marking them off.
4. Don't expect perfection. Let's face it, these are young kids and they will get better at chores the longer they do them.
5. Most important, charge them a fee. Just as you have to give positive rewards I think negative rewards are just as important. More on this below. Bankrupt them often. 

Chore Ambiguity

I think this is where a lot of parents have the most frustration. You and I as adults know what it means to go clean something like the kitchen. To a kid the kitchen is a big place and most of the items in there are not supposed to be touched. They may not know where to start. That's where a specific list of chores is most important. This is the list of chores I expect my kids to do. These chores and rewards correspond to the items I have created in Chore Monster.  

All of my chores are based on dollars. 10 points equals 10 cents. The kids can cash out and take the money or there are other rewards they can get. All these items are stored in Chore Monster.

Charge them a fee

Face the facts, there are some things that we just don't want to do. Maybe you absolutely hate doing the dishwasher. I think kids feel the same way and I actually believe that's fine. As in life, if you don't want to do something you typically have to pay someone to do it for you. The big item in my house is emptying the dishwasher. The kids have the option not to do it. The result is they have to pay me to do it. My going rate is what is on the chore list. If I load and unload the dishwasher I collect 50 cents, cash, immediately. I don't accept credit. I have bankrupted my kids numerous times this way. When they are out of money they have no choice but to do the chore. 

If possible, reward right away

Things like device time I give right away. If the kids want cash, that only comes twice a month. They get paid the same time my payday comes. If they spend too many points on device time, they can't get any money. As i said earlier, bankrupt your children often, they will thank you later in life.