Summer is the perfect time for the One Chore Challenge! What is the One Chore Challenge you ask? It’s taking the time to teach your child how to master one chore properly and to take it on as their own responsibility.
Photo by Gustavo Fring from Pexels
What is the One Chore Challenge?
If you find that your child does chores but does them inconsistently, or incompletely, the One Chore Challenge is for you! The purpose of the challenge is to:
- Teach your child to properly complete a chore the way you would like it done.
- Have your child complete the chore independently without reminders or nagging.
- Give your child a sense of pride and responsibility.
How Do I Start?
Summer is a great time to begin the One Chore Challenge since your child will be less busy with school and extracurricular activities. To get started, pick an age-appropriate chore that you would like your child to master. Spend some time going over exactly how the chore should be done. Write out a list of all the steps if that makes it easier for your child to understand. Then, let your child know how often they will do their chore. Work with your child the first few times until they are comfortable. After that, they can come to you to get your approval once they complete their task. Then gradually, they can complete the chore on their own. This process takes a while, but it’s worth it to get the laundry, bathroom, dishes etc… done properly. It will save you time in the long run because you won’t have to rewash clothes because your child forgot the detergent, or wipe down the bathroom again because it was an incomplete job.
Does it Mean My Child Only Does One Chore?
That’s really up to you! Depending on how old your child is, you may want to limit their chore list to just this one. If your child has other chores to do, they can still do them, but this one can be their main focus!
Do I Have To Remind My Child About Their Chore?
The idea here is to teach your child to work independently and to take responsibility and ownership of their new task. Part of mastering this task independently is to complete it without reminders! Having said that, there are ways to remind your child of their one chore challenge without nagging them or being overly involved. Maybe you can hang a reminder up on the fridge or use your phone or Alexa to set a reminder for your child. Life, Family, Joy has a great chart for her family chore challenge and it’s free to download!
Is There a Reward Involved?
Rewards or delayed gratification work really well for lots of kids. My children don’t get rewards or allowances for doing chores, but they don’t get any screen time until they are done their work. That is a great motivator in my house. Find something that works best for your kids and let the reward act as a reminder.
What are the Benefits of the One Chore Challenge?
There are lots of benefits to spending extra time focusing on just one chore. First, it prepares your child for independent living. Yes, they are still kiddos, but we are raising them to eventually be independent adults, and independent adults need to know how to clean up after themselves. Secondly, it gives the child a sense of pride knowing this one chore is all their own responsibility. Yes, there may be grumbling, especially at first, but there will also be satisfaction in a job well done. Finally, this will save you time! Are you tired of re-doing chores that your kids already did poorly? Then spend the time teaching your child how to do a task properly and completely.
