How to stay sane over the summer holidays by Family Care Co-Ordinator, Sasha Brown.
WITH the holidays under way, many parents will be thinking about how to entertain the children all summer and keep the chaos under control. It can be a stressful time, so we’ve put together some tips for encouraging children to help with tasks so that you don’t feel frazzled.
Plan ahead
Talk to your children about helping over the summer holidays. Sit down as a family and decide on a jobs list that is reasonable for your children given their ages. Only choose jobs that are safe for them. Let each child pick 2-3 jobs and explain why helping is important. Finalise a jobs list for each child; you may want to get them to draw this up in to a timetable to put up. Show your child how to complete their jobs and help them complete them initially. Agree on a set day or time for jobs and explain you will be checking they have been done. Set agreed rewards and consequences.
Rewards
Rewards could be anything from earning pocket money for a family trip or extra 1:1 time with mum/dad. They don’t need to cost a lot.
Consequences
Agree some consequences with your child. If a child does not want to help out and complete their tasks then remind them of the agreed consequence and make sure you follow it through. For example, remove a privilege or remind them they won’t be rewarded that day.
Review
Remember to review your child’s progress with them and support them to make changes. Give your children lots of praise for completing tasks as this will encourage them to continue.
WITH the holidays under way, many parents will be thinking about how to entertain the children all summer and keep the chaos under control. It can be a stressful time, so we’ve put together some tips for encouraging children to help with tasks so that you don’t feel frazzled.
Plan ahead
Talk to your children about helping over the summer holidays. Sit down as a family and decide on a jobs list that is reasonable for your children given their ages. Only choose jobs that are safe for them. Let each child pick 2-3 jobs and explain why helping is important. Finalise a jobs list for each child; you may want to get them to draw this up in to a timetable to put up. Show your child how to complete their jobs and help them complete them initially. Agree on a set day or time for jobs and explain you will be checking they have been done. Set agreed rewards and consequences.
Rewards
Rewards could be anything from earning pocket money for a family trip or extra 1:1 time with mum/dad. They don’t need to cost a lot.
Consequences
Agree some consequences with your child. If a child does not want to help out and complete their tasks then remind them of the agreed consequence and make sure you follow it through. For example, remove a privilege or remind them they won’t be rewarded that day.
Review
Remember to review your child’s progress with them and support them to make changes. Give your children lots of praise for completing tasks as this will encourage them to continue.
RSS Feed
