Does it feel like mission impossible trying to get your teen to help out around the house? It’s not uncommon for teenagers to resist doing chores, particularly when they are going through a lazy phase.
While it may be a battle to start with, there are some tips you can try to get your teen to help out more at home. Read on to find out more.
Assign Chores in Advance
You’re going to stand a much better chance of getting your teen to help out if you give them plenty of notice. Springing a chore on them spontaneously is a sure-fire way to start an argument.
It’s a good idea to assign chores that need to be completed on the same day each week. That way, your teen knows what is expected of them ahead of time.
Give Them a Choice
In some ways, getting a teen to help out around the house is similar to getting a toddler to do what you want. They are going through a phase of independence and don’t like to be told what to do. Therefore, giving them a choice can help them to feel more in control, reducing the risk of conflict.
So, give them a choice of chores they can do and let them pick which one they prefer.
Consider Giving Them a Reward
Although it can be risky, giving them a reward for helping you can act as a great incentive. Of course, some things shouldn’t be rewarded as they are basic cleaning needs. These include things such as hanging their coats up and cleaning up after themselves.
However, for chores that don’t really benefit them, you can reward them with something. It could be they get extra time to play video games, or more time with their friends. For older teens, it could be extending their curfew for the night, or giving them a monetary reward.
Set Consequences If They Don’t Help
If you are struggling to get your teen to help when you ask, you’ll want to introduce consequences. These shouldn’t be too harsh, but they should encourage your teen to do what is asked of them.
It could be that their privileges are revoked for a specific time, or they won’t earn as much pocket money. These types of consequences work wonders for disciplining teenagers.
Don’t Buy Them Everything They Want
Although as parents, you will find yourself buying your teen a lot of stuff, it’s important not to buy them everything. They need to learn that in order to buy things they want, they need to earn money.
By getting rewards for their chores, they will be able to save up the money they earn to buy the things they want. It’s a great life lesson and also makes it easier to get them to do what you want around the house.
Even when following the tips above, you’ll still run into some issues from time to time. Getting teenagers to help you with anything can feel like a constant battle. However, with the tips above it does improve your chances of getting the help you need.
