Doing chores is great practice for what your child will need to do as a grown-up—they not only teach essential life skills for living independently, but they also help kids develop a work ethic.

Here are some tips we found for getting your kids involved with the household chores.

Introduce your kids to chores as early as possible
Even toddlers can help around the house by putting toys away or throwing clothes in the hamper.  Look up age-appropriate tasks, adding more complex chores as your child gets older.  Already have older children?  Sit them down and explain why it is important they participate in household responsibilities, allowing them to contribute to the conversation with their own ideas.

Organize each family member’s chores in a chart
Keep a visual track of all the chores in a place where kids can easily see it, such as the refrigerator door.  Start with four daily jobs (i.e. doing dishes, taking out the trash), rotating them between kids so no one feels as if they are “stuck” doing the same thing.

Make it part of their daily routine
Choose specific times such as right after dinner or before the start of a favorite TV show so the task becomes part of their regular routine—just like brushing their teeth in the morning.

Don’t use chores as punishment
Punishing your child by making them do chores will result in your child associating them with negative feelings. Instead, make doing chores fun by turning on music or setting a timer to see how quickly a room can be picked up.

Be realistic
Understand that your definition of “done” may be different than that of your child.  Let your kids know what you expect and pay attention to the challenges they may be having such as not being able to reach a certain shelf.

For more great chore tips, click here.