But chores are an important part of growing up. Kids who do chores grow up to become more responsible. There’s also a good chance he’ll live with a roommate or romantic partner someday. You don’t want him to be a slob that no one wants to live with. But fighting, nagging, and begging your teen to do chores, however, isn’t a good idea. Rather than make your teen independent, you’ll be teaching her to become dependent on reminders and motivators from you. Create a chore contract that will motivate your teen to do chores. Then, it will become her responsibility to do the work and if she doesn’t, she’ll know the consequences ahead of time.
How to Create a Chore Contract
Rather than battle with your teen to do chores, create a clear written contract. A chore contract eliminates any confusion and makes your expectations crystal clear. When your teen signs a contract he won’t be able to insist he “didn’t know” you meant he had to clean the garage. Instead, he’ll know for sure what you were expecting. Outline which chores you expect your teen to do daily and which ones are weekly. Then, outline what will happen if your teen completes those chores, as well as the consequences of not completing them on time. The point of a chore contract should be to help your teen become more responsible. When he’s signed the contract, and you’ve made your expectations clear, don’t nag him or remind him to get his work done. Instead, follow through with the consequences that you’ve outlined.
Sample Chore Contract
Think about what chores you want your child to do. Then, outline when you expect those chores to be done. While you’ll want to create a chore contract that is specific to your child, you can use this sample contract as a guide:
Consequences for Chores
There should be positive consequences for getting chores done. A positive consequence might involve an allowance or privileges, such as spending time with friends. Or, you can offer a weekly reward. That might include visiting with friends on Friday night if he’s done his chores all week, or it might involve earning an allowance for getting his work done by Saturday at noon. If your teen is having trouble getting his chores done, take away his privileges. For example, tell him if he can’t be responsible enough to put his laundry away, you’re not going to trust him with the keys to the car. Or, tell him he can’t go out with friends until he mows the lawn.
