While no child ever enjoys doing chores, there are things that you can do to help your child appreciate the work they’re doing at home and learn responsibility as your family works together to complete a common goal. Especially if you’re just getting started with teaching your children about chores or the pride that comes from doing honest work from pitching in around the house, you might want to start with tasks that they’ll find enjoyable. For many children, this could include working outside of the home and in the fresh air that can be found outdoors. To help you know which tasks are best suited for your children outside, here are three outdoor chores you can have your children help with.
Planting and Gardening
For major landscaping work, it makes sense to hire a lawn care service that can take care of your needs in an effective and efficient manner. But for other parts of your property, like a flower or vegetable garden, you might want to consider allowing your kids to pitch in. According to Angie’s List, the jobs your kids could do around your flower or vegetable gardens could include watering, pulling weeds, planting bulbs or seeds, picking the placement for certain plants, and collecting the fruits of your harvest. Not only will these jobs help to get your kids taking part in these chores, but they will also allow your kids to get a little dirty, get some fresh hair, and have a sense of accomplishment from watching something grow and come to life right before their eyes.
Using The Hose
When the weather’s nice, kids love to be around water in almost any form. So if you’re ever needing to use the hose for completing a task outside, consider allowing your kids to help out with the project, too. According to Lauren Smith, a contributor to Good Housekeeping, some chores that require you to use the hose outside include watering the lawn or garden, washing the car, cleaning any pets, spraying down parts of the exterior of your home, and more. Even small kids can hold a hose over a flower pot for a few seconds, so allow them to help in a way that will be useful and fun for them.
Clean Up The Yard
A great skill for you to help develop within your children is learning how to clean up after themselves. While most kids know that they should pick up their clothes or toys off the floors in the house, they should also learn that they need to clean up the yard after they’ve spent time playing there. According to Sarah Aguirre, a contributor to The Spruce, you could also have your kids help clean up the yard by raking leaves, shoveling snow, or picking up any trash that might have blown in from the wind.
If you want to get your kids more involved in taking care of your home, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you create an outdoor chore list for them to be responsible for.