Transforming Chore Dodgers into Willing Helpers

Getting kids to help around the house can feel like pulling teeth. But with the right approach, it can be transformed into a fun, engaging activity that builds skills and strengthens relationships. From working together to making chores enjoyable, this article offers simple but effective strategies to turn your little chore dodgers into responsible, willing helpers.

Chores. Responsibilities. Jobs. Tasks.

It doesn’t really matter what you call them. There’s a good chance that when you ask your child to step up and help out at home, you’ll be met with groaning, whining, and complaining. It’s remarkable how often children suddenly develop sore legs, headaches, and other medical conditions the minute we ask them to help—as if household tasks activate some mysterious ailment-generating superpower! Or they suddenly need to go to the bathroom, and stay there until the kitchen has been done!

We’ll probably never have kids who relish the opportunity to do yet another job around the house. After all, most of us don’t love it either. But there are effective ways we can increase the likelihood that our children will become willing participants in keeping the household functioning. In this article, I’ll explain when your kids will be old enough to help out, why they should, and how to involve them in ways that work for everyone and make family life harmonious.

The Developmental Realities of Involving Kids in Household Chores

Our children are more capable of helping than we often give them credit. Much like saplings that appear delicate but possess remarkable resilience, kids can stretch and grow when given appropriate responsibilities. We tend to expect too much of them emotionally but not enough physically.

But this doesn’t mean they can do everything. Expecting a 6-year-old to hang the washing may be asking too much. They can’t reach the line! But perhaps they can wash dishes, stack the dishwasher, clear the table, or pick up ten things from the floor.

How Do You Teach Them?

The fancy term for it is the “Gradual Release of Responsibility” framework. It works in three phases:

I Do (demonstration),
We Do (guided practice), and
You Do (independent application).

First, you model the task completely while they observe. Next, you perform it together, with you gradually stepping back as they take on more responsibility. Finally, they assume complete ownership while you provide occasional guidance. This approach acknowledges that mastery develops through supported practice rather than sudden handover.

How Chores for Kids Improve Executive Function and Confidence

Studies show that children who help out with regular tasks around the home:

Have improved executive function, including working memory and behavioural inhibition (so fewer tantrums).
Have higher self-confidence and self-efficacy.
Are more competent, do better at school, are more prosocial, and are happier.

The Best Age to Start: When Should Kids Begin Helping?

Research suggests that around age 5 is the best time to begin involving kids in chores, allowing them to develop essential skills early on.

Effective Strategies for Encouraging Kids to Help Around the House

But how? Let me suggest three big ideas to help your child step up to the task without the usual complaints and resistance.

Do it Together: Turning Chores into Family Fun

One of the biggest turn-offs for kids doing jobs is feeling left alone. Children whose parents join them in their tasks are more likely to do the work happily. The job is completed faster, the children learn to do it the right way, and they are not really focused on the job. They’re focused on you.

Whether you’re hanging washing, cleaning the kitchen, raking the leaves, or wiping down windows, working together reduces the workload and makes it better. Think of it as an orchestrated duet—you lead, they follow, and soon you’re moving in synchronised harmony, accomplishing something meaningful together.

You can use chore time as an opportunity for connection. Talk about life, about their interests, family stories, or explore thought-provoking questions. The conversation creates positive associations with the task while strengthening your relationship.

And kids love challenges. Frame housework as teamwork by setting achievable goals you can accomplish together. “I wonder if we can get the entire playroom sorted in 10 minutes?” creates a shared purpose rather than a parent-imposed directive.

Make it Fun: Creative Ways to Engage Kids in Chores

Transforming chores from drudgery to delight is all about presentation. A competition to see who can do it faster is fun. Pumping up the music and dancing while you work is fun. Reimagining the living room as a laboratory that needs to be organised before an important experiment? Genuinely engaging!

In our family, we play a game the kids invented called “word association” (terrible name, but it’s all theirs). We identify a theme (like dreams, or modes of transport, or breakups) and take it in turns singing a song that matches the theme. The dishes practically wash themselves when everyone’s belting out “I Will Survive” during our breakup-themed cleanup session. No one is thinking about the chores because they’re having too much fun singing the songs. The cleanup after a big dinner recently took 45 minutes, and no one complained once because of the games… And they kept playing once the dishes were done!

You can also make it fun by being imaginative in the way you describe the roles. A child who becomes “Head of Garden Operations” while watering plants or “Executive Chef’s Assistant” during meal preparation experiences the task differently. The slight shift in perspective transforms obligation into opportunity.

And you can connect household responsibilities to narratives that matter to your child. Folding laundry becomes more appealing when it’s accompanied by a chapter from a favourite audiobook. We’ve found that “listening privileges” can turn previously resisted chores into anticipated activities.

Empowering Kids with Ownership of Their Chores

Children, like adults, crave autonomy. When they feel they have some control over their responsibilities, they’re much more likely to embrace them without resistance.

Instead of asking, “Can you please clean up your room?”, try “Would you like to organise your toys before or after afternoon tea?” or “Do you want to be in charge of vacuuming or dusting this week?” When you combine these questions with “Would you like me to do it with you or do you want to fly solo?”, it works even better.

You can also create a thoughtfully designed “Responsibility Menu” where kids can select their tasks for the week. Just as a well-crafted menu offers appealing options rather than forcing a single meal on you, a chore menu gives children agency while still ensuring the necessary work gets done. You might even include “Featured Tasks” for less popular responsibilities with special recognition.

Remember that ownership develops gradually. Start by assigning specific areas of responsibility that belong exclusively to your child. Perhaps they’re the family’s “Plant Care Specialist” in charge of watering, or the “Energy Monitor” responsible for sensible electricity use. These roles transform mundane tasks into meaningful contributions to the family ecosystem. (But beware… you might create a monster!)

Nurturing Responsibility for Life

Teaching our children to participate in household maintenance goes far beyond having a tidy home. It’s about cultivating essential life skills and values that will serve them well into adulthood.

Chores Build Life Skills and Family Values

Through collaborative, engaging, and thoughtfully structured approaches to chores, we help our children develop competence, confidence, and consideration for others.

The investment we make now—in patience, creativity, and consistent expectations—yields dividends in the form of capable, responsible young people who understand that contributing to their community begins at home.

Transforming Chores from a Chore to a Meaningful Activity

By transforming household work from dreaded obligation to meaningful participation, we prepare our children not just for independent living, but for a lifetime of positive engagement with the world around them.

Ready to transform your family’s chore time into an opportunity for connection and learning? Start using these strategies today and watch as your kids step up to the task with excitement!

Author

Dr Justin Coulson

Dr Justin Coulson is a dad to 6 daughters and grandfather to 1 granddaughter. He is the parenting expert and co-host of Channel 9’s Parental Guidance, and he and his wife host Australia’s #1 podcast for parents and family: The Happy Families podcast. He has written 9 books about families and parenting. For further details visit www.happyfamilies.com.au.

Tuning Into Kids