4 Ways To Get Your Kids To Do Things Around The House

Getting your kids to do anything around the house is tough enough on a regular day, but with them being cooped up for weeks in the house, you've probably noticed that things are tougher than ever. Here are a couple of ideas I and my friends use to keep our monsters in line and doing what we want them to do:

1. Popsicle stick chores - If your kids hate doing chores like my kids and grandkids hate doing chores, this is the hack for you. Go to a craft store and grab a bag of popsicle sticks. On each stick, write a chore. Do the dishes. Take out the trash. Sweep the kitchen floor. Empty the dishwasher. Whatever chores you want to give your kids, write them down on individual sticks, put them face down on the kitchen table so no one knows what they are and let the kids choose what their chores are for the day. It's fair, it's quick, it gets those monsters out of your hair and helping you out around the house.

2. Even/odd days - My granddaughters hate having to be the first one to take a shower at night, so we came up with Even/Odd. One kid is given even numbered days, the other odd numbered days and that determines who is the first. If you have more than two kids, use the alphabet. Again, it's totally fair because there's no way to game the system.

3. Play time - Video games, online time, cell phone time, if you kids want to have time to do anything fun, tie that fun to the popsicle chores. Or you can tell them that no electronics time until they pick up their bedroom to your satisfaction. No chores completed, no electronics time.

4. Get a timer - Use your phone stopwatch or buy an old-fashioned egg timer and set it for the amount of time you will let the monsters do what they want. Again, totally fair because there's no gaming the system and everyone gets their fair share of time. If your kids want to play the same device, set a time they can play before they surrender it to their sibling. Set the timer and when it goes off, everyone switch.