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Age Appropriate Chores
Chores & Pocket Money By Lauren Bassett
As parents, it’s important to teach children to gradually take on more responsibility and grow into adults who can take care of their own basic needs. Completing household chores can be the first step in this journey. But how do you encourage children who are reluctant to lend a hand? Here are some useful tips to help get your child on board.
Start Early When it comes to chores, toddlers are often very keen as they like to copy and mimic your behaviour. Take advantage of this stage whilst it lasts! Remember, any chore requires training. Do a chore with your child, then, once they are confident, encourage them to do it alone. Praise the effort and next time show your child how to improve.
Child Friendly Equipment Child-sized household equipment will help encourage little ones to pitch in. Items such as small brooms, dust pans or watering cans will go a long way to making your child feel helpful.
Plenty of Praise Praise liberally and before they’ve finished the chore. You want to build positive momentum, especially with young children.
Be Specific
How Much?
You need to be very clear with your child about what you expect. Rather than say “tidy your room,” be explicit and say: “Put your toys in the toy box.”
Pocket money surveys are rarely consistent on a ‘going rate’ for children’s pocket money. Amounts vary significantly depending on the age of child and where you live. The Money Advice Service advises that what matters more is that children learn how to value and manage their own money. You may also be already giving your child money to spend, so you won’t be any worse off setting a regular amount and making sure they understand that they are responsible for the ‘one off’ things you have been paying for.
Add Some Fun Change things up every so often, adding chores as children get older. For younger kids, add music or make chores part of a game.
Pocket Money for Chores There are differing opinions about paying children for chores. For some parents the idea of earning all your money sends a good message. Others think children should help out because they are part of the family. Some parents give a regular amount of weekly pocket money but allow their children to earn extra by doing chores. Whatever view you take, as children get older and the novelty wears off, you may find it more difficult to motivate them without a reward. As it’s a parent’s job to teach children the value of money, it makes a lot of sense to link their pocket money to at least some of their chores to show them it has to be ‘earned.’ For more info: www.growingkids.co.uk & www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk
Trying to Reduce Your Single Use Plastic?
SWITCH & SAVE
£30
Ditch the single-use nappy habit and make reusables the new norm! Forget thinking of reusable nappies as being messy and inconvenient. Modern reusable nappies are easy to clean, quick to dry and designed to fit baby without leaks. They are made from hi-tech machine-washable fabrics, can be easily fastened and are available in many styles, patterns and sizes, making them a fun part of baby’s wardrobe. If the family is growing, putting subsequent children in real nappies will only involve the cleaning costs. Once your babies have been pottytrained, you can sell them on and maybe even make your money back! Switch to cloth and save £30 from the cost of purchasing real nappies. Visit: www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/ realnappies for more information.
familiesonline.co.uk
At What Age? Many parents start when their child is around 4 or 5 years old, while others wait until they’re older. As a rule of thumb, if your child understands you need money to buy things, they are probably ready to start managing pocket money.
Not all chores are suitable for all ages and as children get older, the types of chores they can handle will inevitably change. In general, preschoolers can handle one or two simple one-step or two-step jobs. Older children can manage more. Keep in mind they can probably do more than you think. If they are mastering a complicated computer game, they can easily turn on the dishwasher!
Age 2 to 3 • Pick up toys/books • Choose clothes to wear • Put dirty clothes in basket • Put shoes away
Age 4 to 5 • Make their bed -pull up duvet and arrange pillows • Water flowers • Feed pets • Take utensils out of dishwasher and put away
Age 6 to 8 • Set and clear table • Keep bedroom tidy • Sweep the floor • Make their bed neatly
Age 9 to 10 • Dust furniture • Hang/fold clean clothes • Put groceries away
Age 10 to 12 • Vacuum carpets • Wash car • Fold laundry • Unload dishwasher
FREE Child Car Seat Safety Checks
30th APRIL Littledown Centre, Poole
Child Seat Safety are working with BCP Council’s Road Safety this year to provide more check events. These are a perfect opportunity for anyone to get their child car seat checked in their car and to answer to any concerns and questions they may have about transporting their children, grandchildren and friends safely. CSS deliver training and advice across the country and have many years of experience in the field, including working daily with the emergency services, car seat manufacturers retailers and health professionals. There’s no need to book, just look out for the team in the pink jackets, they’d love to see you there at the Littledown Centre in Poole on 30th April.
Families Dorset 5
