Time Management Tip 16: Include the Kids In The Housework

Include your kids in the housework

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One of my favorite biblical models of a time efficient woman is found in Proverbs 31. I once found her example overwhelming until one day part of a verse jumped off the page  “…and plan the days work for her servant girls” (proverbs 31:15b)

I immediately thought, I could get all that done if I had servants too. Then it struck me I have 3.

I prefer the word “helpers” for my children than “servants”. They help me get a lot done, and in trade for training them I am ensuring that they will enter adulthood with the skills of managing a home tucked in their tool belts.

My kids are currently 10, 12, and 16, and they do at least 50% of the housework around the home. I could train them to do more, but I like to keep a good balance of work and play in their lives.

My biggest downfall in this area was waiting so long. My youngest was 5  and my eldest 11 when I started training them to help. Knowing what I know now if I could go back and do it over I would have them help years earlier.

Yes taking time to train them does slow you down temporarily but the rewards of instilling good work ethic into them far out way the training time.

I encourage you to enter “age appropriate chores” into the Pinterest search box and start researching just how much your children could be helping you and then start training them.

Here is an article with a free printable age appropriate chore chart that I found in seconds after punching the above into the Pinterest search engine.

Within just a few short weeks of training I promise you will start seeing your chore time diminish and your children’s work abilities improve.

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Introduction: 31 Days Of Time Saving Tips For The Work-At-Home Mom

Day One: Perform a Time Audit

Day Two: Night Owl Or Morning Bird?

Day Three: Where are Your Largest Windows?

Day Four: Making the Most of Small Windows

Day Five: Daily To Do Lists

Day Six: Maximizing The To Do List

Day Seven: Say No

Day Eight: Eliminate Poor Yes Choices

Day Nine: Put Your Time Offenders On a Budget

Day Ten: Combine Joy

Day Eleven: Making Effective Use of Waiting Time

Day Twelve: Making Use of Travel Time

Day Thirteen: Making The Most of Mom Taxi in Waiting Time

Day Fourteen: Take Time to Rest a Few Moments Each Day

Day Fifteen: Tag-Team

Day Sixteen: Involve the Kids (you are here)

Day Seventeen: Mechanical Slaves

Day Eighteen: Outside Help

Day Nineteen: Timer Magic

Day Twenty: Take a Rest Day

Day Twenty One: Less Stuff, Less Mess, More Time

Day Twenty Two: Hold A Family Work Bee

Day Twenty Three: Keep Gatherings Simple

Day Twenty Four: Saving Time in The Kitchen

Day Twenty Five: The Self Cleaning Home

Day Twenty Six: Streamlining Your Homeschooling day

Day Twenty Seven: Create an I Did It List

Day Twenty Eight: Create a Simple Cleaning Routine

Day Twenty Nine: Create To Go Bags

Day Thirty: Making Minimum Standards

Day Thirty One: Treat Life Like a Marathon Not a Sprint

Tired of living a chaotic life? I recommend taking Make Over Your Mornings and/or Make Over Your Evenings. These are 15 day, video driven courses that come with a workbook for you to complete. Each day’s lesson consists of a five minute video, five minutes of reading and a five minute workbook activity. These courses will help you streamline your day taking you from frazzled to calm.