5 Household Chores for Kids Under 10

 

When everyone pitches in around the house, there is more time for fun, games and family bonding. Teaching household chores and responsibilities at a young age can help children grow up to be clean, organized and happy adults. 

So, what chores should you assign to the young ones? Be sure to avoid heavy objects, like vacuum cleaners, and chemical cleaners to reduce the risk of injury or death. Instead, start with easier tasks that still provide a sense of responsibility and success. 

Here are five chores for kids under 10 to get you started on the road to a cleaner home and a happier, healthier (and more responsible) family:

Dust Furniture
Dust accrues almost daily in every room in your home. By assigning this task to young children, they get a better understanding of the spaces that get dirty, even where they would least expect it. Dusting is easy enough that risk of injury is minimal, yet extremely helpful in the overall cleaning process.  

Water Plants
If you have indoor plants, or even a beautifully landscaped garden outdoors, you can connect your children to nature while also teaching them to acquire a green thumb. This can also be a great way to dive into science, demonstrating photosynthesis and the importance of sunlight and water. If you grow herbs, you can even show them how to use the plants they care for in the kitchen! 

Feed Pets
Having a pet is a huge responsibility, especially for a child. And when that child is too young to take a dog for a walk or clean out a litter box, feeding time is a great way to pitch in. Make it easier by providing a scooper, rather than lifting a heavy bag, and giving them a set number of scoops for how much food is needed. 

Set the Table
As dinner is cooking in the kitchen, have younger children take on the job of setting the table. A plate, utensils, a cup and a napkin at every seat is simple and easy. If the meal requires serving utensils (other than knives of course) or condiments, have them handle it so they understand where things are located and where they belong when it’s time to put them away. 

Sweep the Floor
A vacuum cleaner may be a bit heavy duty for a small child, but a broom is not. Similar to dusting, children will learn the nooks and corners that need to be swept for a deeper clean when you follow up with a vacuum. Also, since sweeping collects physical piles of dirt that need to be scooped up, kids may feel a sense of pride when they see what their hard work has accomplished.

Productivity Tips for Working From Home

 

Whether you’ve been working remotely for years or are new to a work-from-home scenario, there are important strategies for doing it successfully.

Many have the misconception that working from home is easy and will automatically lead to increased productivity. In reality, the opposite is usually true. There are often more distractions at home, and not having the office resources you rely on readily available can hamper your ability to do your job.

If you want to improve your chances of being productive while working from home, do the following:

Create designated space. Don’t try to do your job from the sofa, or worse, your bed. If you don’t already have a designated office space in your home, create one. Set up a table and comfortable chair in a room—or corner of a room—where you’re likely to have the most privacy. Use a decorative screen to help section off your workspace if need be. Take over a guest room, if you have one, or claim the dining room as your new office, relegating meals to the kitchen instead. The idea is to have a space that’s as private as possible, where you can leave your work materials out at the end of the day.

Get up on time. Working from home doesn’t mean it’s time to sleep in. Be sure to maintain the morning schedule you had when going into the office, and if you now have more time due to not having to commute, use it for exercise or to have breakfast with the family. Giving in to sleeping longer may reduce your energy level and make it harder to focus.

Establish a communication system. Working from home can often leave you feeling cut-off from your coworkers and managers, which can quickly stymie productivity. Make sure you have a system for effectively connecting, using both chat programs and video conferencing to stay in regular contact. Don’t just rely on email, which can lack details and intent. The idea is to avoid isolating yourself, even though you’re not physically present at the office.

Work during work hours. When working from home, it can be tempting to try and sneak in some domestic tasks or social engagements. Try to avoid this during designated work hours, as the distraction factor will quickly mount, and you’ll find it hard to keep switching between work and home life. Take a lunch hour and a couple of breaks for your personal tasks, then focus on work during the times you would while at the office.

Honor quitting time. One of the dangers of working from home is that your work is always right there with you. Be as productive as possible during work hours, then end your day as you normally would when at the office. Shut your computer down, organize your papers, turn off the light in your home-office space and call it a day. Taking the necessary time to detach from work every day will ultimately make you more productive.

Treat Yourself to a Luxurious Staycation

 

Everyone loves going away on an exotic vacation, but sometimes there’s nothing quite like staying home and taking a few days to relax. After all, when you have a luxurious residence, you don’t need to stay at a five-star hotel to treat yourself. If you’re ready to escape your daily stress without having to pack your suitcase, here are a few tips for the ultimate staycation.

Call the Cleaners
Whether it’s for a week or a weekend, you want your house to be looking it’s best when you start your staycation. Have the cleaners come do an extra deep clean so that it practically feels like a hotel. You might even want to take some time to declutter and organize beforehand, because nobody can relax in a messy environment. You’ll thank yourself later.

Pamper Yourself
This is the perfect time to pick out a few products to upgrade around the house, like bath salts that you can enjoy while soaking in the tub or fine linens for your bed. A plush, new bathrobe or fluffy set of towels might also be in order.

Make Reservations
The staycation is all about planning ahead and splurging a little bit (and you don’t have to feel bad about it because you’re already saving money by not booking hotels and plane tickets). Book yourself a day at your favorite spa and get a few treatments, then be sure to make a special dinner reservation. If you want to go to a play or concert, get your tickets ahead of time so that everything is in order.

Stock Up on Your Favorite Foods (and Drinks!)
Of course, you’re not going to want to go grocery shopping while you’re taking your staycation, so make sure you have the pantry filled with all your favorites. Everyone eats well when they go on vacation, so it’s perfectly fine to indulge in your favorite sweets.

Family Activities
Plan out a few activities that the whole family will enjoy, like going apple picking or taking a day trip to a nearby attraction. In the evenings, it’s always fun to spend time cooking together or playing a board game.

Top Money Skills to Teach Your Children

 

Raising your kids to be adults who can successfully navigate through life is the end goal of parenting, and a big part of that responsibility centers around teaching them about money so that they’re financially independent as they transition from childhood to adulthood.

Here are some of the best money skills to teach your children:

Explain that everything costs money. This basic concept is one that some people forget. Everything you buy costs money, whether you pay for it now with cash or later with a credit card or loan.

Thirty-eight percent of U.S. households had revolving credit card debt in 2018, according to the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. Revolving credit is debt that’s moved from month to month and paid off over time with interest and possibly even late fees. This is in direct opposition to credit card users who pay off their purchases each month and avoid interest charges.

Take your children shopping with you—for groceries, clothes, furniture and everything else—and show them that things cost money.

Teach them to save. A clear jar for spare change can be a simple way to show children how to save money as they can physically see the money increase daily.

When they get money for birthdays or earn an allowance, open a savings account in their name and show them how to deposit money in it regularly. If they’re old enough to understand it, teach them how compound interest works and how regular deposits and interest paid on their account can increase their savings.

You don’t have to go over the numbers with them but explain how you save money each month for retirement, emergency expenses, vacations and other long-term goals.

Give them the opportunity to work for an allowance. Set up an allowance—usually equal to their age—for weekly chores. This will help show children that they can get paid for working, then use that money to buy things or save for something later.

If you don’t think an allowance is a good way to get your child to do chores, take the time to explain the importance of everyone contributing to how the house is taken care of and how important it is that everyone work together to get chores done.

Teaching them some responsibility, whether with an allowance or not, can help them learn skills they will undoubtedly need as adults.

Show them the importance of a sound budget. If you don’t have a household budget, having kids may be a good incentive to start one. You can show them your monthly expenses, as well as income, and explain how both should be equal to make your finances work well.

Make sure your children understand that not having a sound budget that can be adhered to may cause them to go into debt in order to pay some bills, or having to cut costs because they can’t afford everything they want. If you don’t want to show your children your income, at least explain how your bills work.