The sheer number of chores required to keep a house running smoothly from day to day is pretty much endless. From dishes and laundry to feeding the dog and taking out the trash, the list can be both exhausting and overwhelming and only continues to grow with each new family member that is added.
The good news though is that the kids are not helpless and can actually do a great deal to help keep the family home running. As part of the family unit, they can participate just as easily as mom and dad and their contributions will go a long way in teaching them the value of hard work and instilling in them a strong work ethic that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.
Knowing this however, and actually getting them to willingly help out around the house are two completely different things. Rewards can not only help, they can introduce your child to a feeling of accomplishment once they’ve completed their chores.
Experiences vs. Material Items
The question then becomes, what types of rewards should they be able to earn?
Here in our house, we strongly believe in experiences rather than material items. I mean, look around your home, your children’s play room, your living room. Do they really need more toys that they’ll probably forget about in a month? Do you really want to try to find a place to store more items that nobody will even remember you have in a couple of weeks?
I’m going to assume the answer to that is probably no.
When it comes to kids, especially the younger ones, giving them a day or an experience to remember is often a much bigger motivator than a material item would be.
For our kids in particular, we have continued to use the ChorePal app from COUNTRY Financial®, and not only does it help me keep track of their chores and who has already completed what for the day, it also allows me to keep track of what rewards they’ve earned and shows me exactly how far away they are from earning the next.
These experiences don’t have to be super extravagant either.
Our kids, for instance, are still fairly young and so their chores are still pretty basic, but to get, and keep, them motivated, we have come up with a few different rewards that have helped get them excited about helping out around the house while ensuring that we’re not out buying new toys or giving out money at every turn.
Things like being the one to pick out the movie for movie night or getting to go out for ice cream with mom or dad are a few of the current favorites.
While completing a week’s worth of chores may not seem like it would be that big of a deal, to a 5 year old who then gets to pick whatever movie he wants for family movie night (within reason, obviously), it’s a major accomplishment. To the 3 year old who gets to help make a snack of her choice for the movie night festivities, it’s pretty much the best thing ever.
These experiences allow us to think outside the box a bit and spend more quality time together as a family without worrying about the amount of money that is spent or constantly adding to the ever growing number of toys that fill our play room. They allow our children to feel a sense of accomplishment and pride in a job well done without focusing on the idea of new stuff every time we turn around.
With the new ChorePal app from COUNTRY Financial® however, I can easily keep track of exactly where each child is in their progress towards a reward without missing a beat. I don’t have to try to remember each week who has earned their reward and who hasn’t, I don’t have to try to keep track of which reward they’ve earned, I don’t have to keep track of a thing!
This glorious little app from COUNTRY® Financial, a full-service insurance and financial services company that takes a personal approach to planning for people’s financial futures, makes that household chore list just a little bit easier to manage.
Feel like taking that load off of your shoulder’s as well? Download the free ChorePal app and get started! I promise, you won’t regret it!
