Every day when my kids get home from school, it’s the same thing. I ask them to do their chores, and they either ignore me, complain, or we end up arguing about it. I mean, it’s just basic stuff like putting away backpacks, feeding the dog, or loading the dishwasher.
I’ve tried reminding them nicely, making charts, and even bribing them with extra screen time, but nothing seems to work. By the time dinner comes around, I’m already worn out from all the back and forth.
How do other parents manage this? Is there a way to get kids to handle their after school responsibilities without the constant nagging or fights?
We had the same battles until I started connecting chores to something my kid already wanted to do. Like, the dog gets fed right when he walks in because that’s when she’s most excited to see him anyway.
Backpack and shoes go in their spot on the way to grab his after-school snack. I just rearranged our routine so the chores happen naturally as part of what he’s already doing, rather than asking him to stop what he wants to do to go do chores.
I found a simple check-off list really helped my kids with their chores after school. I put it right where they drop their bags when they come home. It’s just a few things they need to do, nothing fancy.
I also started giving small rewards for completing their tasks, like choosing dessert or picking a movie for family night. The rewards don’t need to be big, just something they enjoy.
The biggest change for us was when I stopped asking them repeatedly. I just point to the list once and let them take care of it. Sure, there are days they forget, but most of the time they remember since they want those little rewards. It took a little while, but now things feel way more peaceful in our home.
Mine do theirs before they get any snacks or screens. No negotiation, just the routine. Took about two weeks of consistency before they stopped testing it. Now they just do it automatically most days.