Getting the Family to Work as a Team"

                One of the most challenging areas of child rearing is to get our children to help around the house.  Many people involved in education and helping children to become more responsible wonder how to accomplish this task.  If you think of your home as a business and everyone who lives in it as an employee you can begin to give out important jobs and tasks based on their individual abilities.  Just like in a business, you must create a mission statement far your family.  Identify what are your most important values and priorities.

A.      Family Meetings/Mission Statement

·         Establish monthly or regular meetings to involve everyone who has an opinion in the process. Discuss important events and needs.

·         Emphasis Team Work

·         Mission Statement: What are your values and priorities in your home?

B.      Rewards/Reinforcement

·         Star charts, beans in a jar, any measure or chart of success

·         Reward based on success or effort

·         Reinforcement: if someone does a good job, validate the work and effort

C.       Create a Calendar/Schedule for your Family

·         Write out a printed schedule for chores: involve your children in the process

·         Divide up the chores based on your families schedule and abilities

D.       Consequences

·         If you don’t divide up the chores, you will have less time to spend together

·         Less time to spend with children

·         Discuss non involvement and choices

E.        Divide up the Chores

·         Setting Table

·         Cleaning the Family Room

·         Bathing Siblings

·         Making lunches

The investment of time you take in teaching your children to be involved in the home and learn to clean, cook or just be responsible will pay off in many ways over the years.