Can I tell you the moment I stopped doing everything myself?
My kids were primary school age, I was rushing around cleaning up after dinner while everyone else sat in the lounge room watching TV. And I just thought: why am I doing this alone?
Not out of frustration - well, maybe a little - but genuinely. Why had I set up a household where I was the only one responsible for keeping it running?
So I started small. From now on, the kids' job was to put their plates on the kitchen counter after every meal. That's it. One thing, every day.
Within a week it was just... what they did. No reminders needed. And from there we built up, slowly, to a household where everyone genuinely contributes.
Here's what I've learned about getting kids to actually help:
→ Start with one job, not a list. One thing done consistently beats five things done never.
→ Match the job to the age. Toddlers can put toys in a basket. Primary schoolers can set the table, feed pets, empty the dishwasher. Teens can do their own laundry.
→ Don't redo it. If they made the bed and it's lumpy, leave it lumpy. The moment you fix it, the message is "your effort doesn't count."
→ Name it as their contribution, not a favour to you. "This is your job because you're part of this family" lands very differently to "can you please help me."
You're not asking too much. You're raising capable humans.
💗 Hit reply and let me know - what jobs do your kids already have? I'm always collecting ideas!
x Marissa
Marissa Roberts
Organising tips to make life easier for busy mothers
