Encourage Teens to do Household Chores

In today's economy it takes everybody in the household to keep it running efficiently. Because of the financial pressures to maintain a family, both parents in many households work outside of the house. As a result, household chores are usually put on the back burner. With the busy work and school schedule of most family members everyone, including the teens must chip in to keep things running smoothly. Therefore, it has become increasingly necessary for teens to pitch in and do household chores and its up to the parent to encourage them to do help out.

Instruction

Step 1
Explain the economy. Sometimes teens rebel against doing additional work around the house because they don't get the big picture. Take time to sit down and explain what's going on in the economy and how it is affecting the household. This should help them to understand why their input is important.

Step 2
Use a bargaining system. This works especially well for teens that are not driving yet. Most teens take the daily chauffeuring done by parents for granted. Introduce them to the new system of exchanging chores for transportation. If they want to be driven to and from their social engagements, it will cost them in the currency of doing chores around the house.

Step 3
Assign teens household chores they might enjoy. It may sound like an oxymoron, teens enjoying chores, but over time, teens have been known to enjoy certain chores. Plugging into an iPod and washing the dishes isn’t so terrible for some while mowing the lawn offers a sense of accomplishment for others. Make sure to match the chore with the child's interests, capability and maturity level.

Step 4
Be willing to train the teen on how to accomplish the chore properly. Parents have a tendency to get stuck doing chores because they don’t let go. A teen may not complete the chore to the parent’s liking the first go around, but don’t give up. Practice makes perfect. Be willing to give up some of the control and allow the teen time to learn how to accomplish the task at hand.

Step 5
Embrace the differences. Not everyone does everything the same way. Allow teens to accomplish household chores using their very own teenaged style. As long as the chores are done well and within a reasonable amount of time, give them the flexibility of adding their own flair. Bookmark/Share this article with others: