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Home › Articles › Discipline › Play the Cleaning Game

Play the Cleaning Game

Sweep Your Child off the Couch

By Laura Cone

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Brenda McLaverty of Cinnaminson, N.J., gives her two sons, Mason, 6, and Garrett, 13, an allowance for doing chores every week. "My 6-year-old has to make his own bed," McLaverty says. "We count on them because we are a family. We all have to help out. The older one takes out the trash and helps with the dog."

McLaverty says when her children were younger she made a game out of seeing who could pick up clutter the fastest.

Women's vs. Men's Work
McLaverty says her boys are just as comfortable working outdoors as they are cooking in the kitchen and cleaning. "When you have a family it's all about team work," she says. "It's not just Mom cleaning up but Dad helping out. If Dad is not home to take out the trash, Mom would do it. It's not just one person's responsibility. That's what we try to stress."

Hill says it's important to encourage both boys and girls to participate in outdoor and indoor chores. "I am a person who does not like the expression 'men helping out,"' she says. "It's their house too. Just using that term makes it seem like they can just do it when they feel like it. Each family member has a portion to do."

It's good for children to see their fathers working inside and mothers working outdoors, says Hill. Encourage your children to tag along while you do more challenging chores.


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