Some kids struggle to remember after school chores, especially between the ages of 10 and 14 when the brain does not remember future-directed goals as easily. Here are 5 steps to help your kiddo remember after school chores more easily.
- Create a schedule for your kid. Think of the most important after school tasks and write them down in order of importance. These activities my include eating a snack, feeding a pet, doing homework, and doing a chore, such as vacuuming the living room carpet.
- Write down the schedule. Writing down the tasks helps your kid remember the tasks in order you expect them to be performed. Keep the list short (no more than 5 task) so as not to overwhelm them.
- Hang up the schedule. Put the schedule in a place that is easy for them to see, such as hanging on the refrigerator door by a magnet, taped to the bathroom mirror at their eye level, or on laying their bed pillow.
- Provide simple rewards. Connect the chore list to a motivating activity your child enjoys, such as reading an extra book at bedtime, having 15 minutes of playing their favorite game, or earning an allowance.
- Teach your kid to make their own schedule. It is important for kids to learn how to organize themselves. They can learn to write down their own after school schedule and put it in a place they will easily see and remember it. This is how they learn to be more independent.
For other ideas in organizing your child, check out the book The Organized Child: An Effective Program to Maximize Your Kid’s Potential–in School and in Life by Richard Gallagher PhD, Elena G. Spira PhD, and Jennifer L. Rosenblatt PhD; The Guilford Press, 2018.
