There is nothing like childhood. Boundless energy and continuous learning make for a very interesting existence. If kids had their choice, they would want to have fun all day, every day. Unfortunately for them, there are a lot of things that children need to learn and we, as adults, need to find a way to teach them.
The most effective way to teach somebody something is to make them have fun doing it. Part of that for some kids is to make them feel like the lesson was their idea. Sound hard? It might take a little practice, but once you have got it, you can really use it to your advantage and to the benefit of your child.
Here we will discuss how to teach your children to follow the rules of the house, keep it clean and have fun doing it. This technique can work well with an only child or a house full of children. It can even work on spouses if you are creative!
Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
Now, how do you make someone think that scrubbing a toilet or doing the dishes is fun? Even more challenging, how do you make them think it was their idea? One simple word comes to mind: Competition.
Most people and children have a competitive streak and we all love rewards for winning. Create a contest where family members are rewarded for doing things that help out around the house. Motivate the children by including the adults. If Dad mows the yard, he gets a point. If Mom does the dishes, she gets a point. Then you simply point out that someone is ahead and suddenly the kids want in on the action. Not only that, but they are having fun and they think that it is their idea to clean.
Come up with a simple reward system. Whoever has the most points at the end of a week gets to rent whatever movie they want. Or maybe they get to have their favorite meal served. You may need to have different reward systems for adults and children to make it fair. Mom and Dad can compete separately from the children.
To keep the system going you need to make monthly prizes as well. The most points at the end of the month could earn you some extra allowance or a night out to dinner with the parents, no other siblings allowed. Figure out what motivates your kids and leave it up to them to earn the reward.
