MOTIVATING KIDS TO CLEAN UP

When it comes to getting your kids to help with chores around the house, it's critical to consider
the age of the child. At first, very young children are going to need lots of direction and specific,
step-by-step instructions on what to do.
For example, with a 3-year-old, you might say, "Lanre, I need you to pick up all of your Toys
and put them into the Toy box in the next 10 minutes. I'm going to set the kitchen timer and
when it rings, all of the Toys need to be in the box. If they aren't, you won't be able to play with
them tomorrow." Then set the timer and follow through.

Assuming that Lanre gets his toys put away to your satisfaction, you can move on to another
task, such as putting his picture books on the shelf or placing his dirty clothes in the hamper.
Although this approach will demand more of your time and attention, it's much less frustrating
and anger-provoking than repeatedly yelling, "Clean up this room, or you've had it!" You'll also
find that giving specific, step-by-step instructions, backed by consequences, will yield much
better results.
With older kids who can read and write, it can be helpful to write their daily chores on a small
white board that you hang on their wall or to give them chore cards that spell out the specific
actions they need to take in order to complete a task. Again, be specific about the deadline for
completing the task and what the consequence will be if they don't get the job done.By the way, when using consequences with kids, it's most effective to balance both positive and
negative consequences. If we simply punish our kids for bad behavior or failing to follow
through, they can easily become discouraged. It's just as important to praise and reward our kids
for their good behavior. So when your children consistently follow through on their chores, such
as cleaning their room, they should receive verbal praise, a hug and even an occasional small
reward.

Many parents have found that sticker charts can also be a great motivator. Each time a child
follows through with a task, he receives a sticker. When he earns a certain amount of stickers, he
then receives a special privilege or a treat for his efforts.
Source: Focus on the Family