5 Tips for Kids Reluctant to Clean

Kids and Cleaning: 5 Truth and Consequences.

If, despite all your planning and motivating efforts, your kids don't get the job done, you need to be ready with a combination of natural consequences.

Here are five ways to keep you from looking like the bad guy, and instead place the onus on the doer - or lack thereof - of the chores at hand.

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1: Add Insult to Injury.

Give more chores to the rule-breaker whose duties aren't done; ditto for a child who keeps whining about her chores.

2: Take Away Privileges.

Ground the scofflaw for the morning or the afternoon. Take away his TV privileges for the weekend. Call it the `no work, no play" rule.

3: Stand Firm.

Stand behind your rules. The advantage to having rules is that you don't have to reinvent the wheel every day. There are no arguments. Simply say, `You know the rule, and you're in violation, buddy! No exceptions."

4: Use Natural Consequences.

This technique requires some restraint and patience. It means that you allow your child to make a mistake and wait for him to experience the natural consequence of that mistake. (Of course, common sense must apply - don't let them do anything dangerous!) This technique is good for harmless things like putting off a chore for so long that a child has to miss a social event to complete the chore by its Saturday due date.

5: Don't Get Mad.

Even if your children don't do their chores or give you bad attitudes, it's wise to apply discipline but to keep your emotions in check. Avoid anger at all costs. It gives them a license to misbehave and sends you tumbling back to square one.