Every family has a unique way of dividing up responsibility. Some families are old school with someone designated to household chores and another delegated to outside. While other families have a rotating list of chores that everyone tackles at one time or another. No matter how chores get done, one thing’s for sure- peaceful homes are a team effort.
In the same way healthy families enjoy peaceful homes, families that contribute to the maintenance of the home tend to be better teammates and do better when they leave home.
Responsibility is a good thing. It’s important to teach teamwork and sacrifice at every age. Delegating age-appropriate chores or responsibilities is healthy for everyone. Modeling hard work and dedication is also a positive thing for children to see in their family.
One of the most powerful ways to bring peace to your home is through creating a team effort for the maintenance and well-being of the home. Though chores may seem like an obvious way to delegate responsibility, there are also fun ways to create a team environment that don’t include a mop and broom. Take a look-
Encourage your children to create a menu and shopping list- Asking your children to help meal plan can be a fun activity. They may want tacos every Tuesday or they may love experimenting and finding new recipes to try each week. Teaching your children to meal plan can educate them about budgeting, healthy foods, and cooking skills. That’s a lot of education!
Make the bed, every day- Studies show that making your bed first thing in the morning can help you complete more tasks during the day. Requiring your family to make their bed each morning helps them be self-starters and finish things all the way through. It’s satisfying to see a made bed and makes going to bed special at the end of a long day.
Pets first- If your family has pets, there is a great opportunity to teach them the importance of caring for others before yourself. Have children feed and water pets before their own meals. Work as a team to clean up after pets and take them out for exercise when appropriate. Teaching these skills will help them be better in the workforce and more selfless overall.
A home is a combination of the people who live there interacting for the benefit of the family as a whole. Families that share responsibilities and take pride in working as a team tend to have more peaceful homes and develop higher functioning adults who do well in the workplace and their communities.
