Many parents complain that if they want their child to do something, they have to nag about it over and over again and it still doesn’t get done. Some of the reasons for this is that children are easily distracted, they would rather play and they have previously gotten out of doing the task by ignoring you.
Here is a different approach to the problem. First, explain why the task has to be done. Let’s say you want them to put their toys away. You might say,” Your toys have to be picked up and put away so you will be able to find them and play with them tomorrow. ” You might also use as an explanation, ” Your toys have to be picked up so nobody will trip over them and hurt themselves.” At this point you might ask the child, ” Will you put them away?” If the task is not done immediately stop back from time to time and simply say, “Toys.”
Another example might be getting the child to help clear the table after a meal. An explanation might be, ” Food spoils when left on the table and it can make people sick. So will you bring the dishes in the kitchen?’ If the chore is not done right away, go back from time to time and just say, ” Dishes.”
Always thank the youngster for doing the task. Let them know their work is appreciated.