As a parent, nothing beats quality time with your kids. Unfortunately, parents also have loads of other responsibilities! Most notably, you have to deal with the ownership and maintenance of your property. So, some of your weekends are full of you doing bits and pieces around the house. All the while, your kids are left to their own devices, and you feel quite cut off from them.
Instead, it’s a smart idea to get them more involved around the house. This benefits you in two ways: one, your kids actually learn how to do basic home maintenance tasks. Two, you get to spend more time with them! How do you get them more involved? Here are some ideas…
Involve them in big projects
Doing DIY around the house is an awesome way to encourage your children to be more involved. They will like being part of big projects and helping you do things that make a difference to your home. A couple of ideas that spring to mind are painting the walls or installing new flooring. With the latter, you can get your kids to help you install engineered wood flooring – or lay down a new carpet. It’s a pretty big task, and you’ll need all the help you can get. But, your kids will enjoy doing something that’s really complicated and advanced. It makes them feel special and more grown-up – and it’s perfect bonding time as well!
Make a game out of certain tasks
Some tasks around the house are boring, but they need to be done. One that springs to mind is cleaning your home. Who enjoys doing this? Nobody. Still, it’s something you can’t ignore, so you may as well make it as fun as possible. Get your kids to help out, yet turn the entire thing into a game. You could race them to see who can pick up the most rubbish in the home within a certain period. Or, get them to clean their rooms and see who can do it faster. The gamification element encourages them to be more involved in a boring household task. You can take this approach with just about any maintenance task you can think of.
Treat them for helping out
It’s the oldest parenting trick in the book, but promising your child a treat is the easiest way to get them involved in anything. If you tell them that you can go to the park if they help you with the washing up, they’ll be more involved. Or, giving them their favorite candy bar or buying their favorite food can also be good treats. When a child knows something is at stake, they’re more likely to try harder to do something. Thus, you can involve your kids around the home!
Try these tactics if you want your kids to be more active in the home. Instead of sitting down doing nothing while you work, they can join you as you do the various maintenance tasks. It’s an excellent bonding time, and also a great way of teaching them valuable life lessons.
