Parents who wish to raise helpful individuals should pay attention to tasks. Teaching a kid one chore at a time will help build a sense of responsibility they will maintain for the rest of their lives. With that in mind, making a child do something is no easy task. Hopefully, with the following ideas, any parent will pick fun things their kids would love to do.

A Chore Doesn’t Have to Be Dull

First things first. Before checking out what chores we have in mind, we should explain some things. First and foremost, don’t expect the kid to do the task flawlessly. It won’t happen. If you don’t show that you’re pleased with the work they’ve done, your kid will lose the motivation to continue. Once they’ve lost it, making them do any chore might turn into something both sides will hate. So, try to be happy with the work, even if it’s not what you expected.

Another thing to take into account is the kid’s age. Younger children won’t be able to achieve complex tasks. There are many lists of chores set by age. However, what a child can accomplish at a certain age is not universal. In other words, while one kid can manage to put clothes in the washing machine at three years old, another may not. Without further ado, let’s dive into the complex world of tasks and pick a suitable chore for your kid.

Chores for Special Occasions

The following tasks are ideal for when you expect guests. Give little ones time and independence to achieve each chore.

• Set the table (including tableware)
• Create flower arrangements (can be replaced with twig arrangements or other things your kid loves to play with)
• Help in the preparation of cheese or cracker platters
• Fold napkins
• Help with meal preparation (for older kids)

Make the Not-So-Fun Chores More Entertaining

These activities are by no means inherently fun. So, your kid will either love or hate to do them, depending on their personality. Don’t stress children by making them do things they hate. Instead, try and make the following tasks seem more fun, and always take your time to appreciate the help the kid has given.

• Load the dishwasher
• Dry wash dishes (older children may wash dishes as well)
• Sponge clean the sink
• Sort the trash for recycling and take out the garbage
• Tidy the playroom by putting toys in their place

Try Some Fun Chores

Each chore in this category involves having fun. These activities are ideal for younger children, as doing something they love will help them learn that tasks can be exciting. Do your best to engage the kid’s abilities and interests.

• Weed the garden or help plant new flower beds
• Anything with water, from watering plants to washing fruits and veggies
• Sort silverware
• Pair clean socks
• Mash potatoes or use other tools to help with meal preparation

People often note that their own mothers like their kids more than they like them, and that seems to have been validated by a team of researchers who were looking into the matter. Apparently, a grandmother would naturally feel more empathy for her grandchildren than her own children.

Any Grandmother Is Naturally Compelled to Like Her Grandchildren

The fact that grandparents relish the opportunity to have extra-special relationships with their grandchildren is nothing surprising. According to the new study, a grandmother will naturally feel more connected with her grandchildren than with her own kids. To come to that conclusion, James Rilling, who led the study, recruited 50 women with at least one grandchild aged 3 to 12. The women were given photos of their grandchild, child, and something unrelated, and then the researchers used MRIs to scan their brains.

A Grandmother Would Feel More Emotional Empathy to Their Grandchildren

It turns out that when grandmothers viewed photos of their grandchildren, they activated brain regions that are associated with emotional empathy, showing that a grandmother may be predisposed to share her grandchildren’s emotional states. Meanwhile, photos of the women’s own children activated other areas of the brain that are linked to cognitive empathy, showing that there is more of a mental understanding of their child and less of an emotional one.

Rilling, who is a professor of anthropology, psychiatry, and behavioral sciences, has previously done a similar study asking fathers to look at photos of their kids. Apparently, grandmothers have more emotional empathy and motivation than fathers, although that is not true for every case.

While the new study has given scientists a good insight into human mentality and physiology, family relationships can differ drastically and depend on many factors, so every family has different grandparent-parent-grandchildren dynamics. Some studies even show how grandparents with outdated health guidance who participate actively in the raising of the child could be unknowingly harming their grandchildren. Still, having a grandparent who is involved in a child’s life is a blessing for most parents.