You can give your child something meaningful—a family chore!

The “I’m bored” whining will stop. Your child will feel she’s a needed family member. She’ll learn new skills and feel more capable—at home and school.

To achieve these results:

• Teach how to do a job before handing it over to your child.
• Don’t expect perfection. Never redo your child’s work.
• Do chores together. Don’t expect your child to work alone.
• Have fun. Play music. Sing songs together. Beat the clock. Take turns.
• Praise your child’s contributions to the family.
• Point out a chore’s natural rewards. If a child finds a coin while vacuuming, she gets to keep it. If she makes cookies, she gets to eat some of them.
• Don’t nag your child about chores. Help her make a chart where she can see what’s expected of her each day.

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