Chores for Kids with ADHD: How To Motivate Your Child

As parents, you most likely know how much of a struggle it can be to get your child to do their chores. If you have a child with ADHD- forgetfulness, distractions, and difficulty following directions can leave you feeling helpless when asking them to help out with household tasks. 

Getting your child to complete their chores might not be an easy feat, but it is important to not let your child’s symptoms of ADHD get in the way. Chores teach children important life lessons and provide them with essential skills that will only help them survive into adulthood. 

Chores are for the whole family. Learn more about chores you can give to your child with ADHD, and how to keep them motivated.

Struggling to motivate your ADHD child?

 

Download the Joon App and start your free 7-day trial.  

Download App

   

Chores for Kids with ADHD

Research has indicated that doing household chores in childhood is linked to children having feelings of competence, self-confidence, and a sense of responsibility to others. 

With that said, the University of Minnesota studied 84 adults who were in their mid-twenties and found that the best predictor of their successes (in relationships, careers, and not utilizing drugs) was that they engaged in household tasks as early as when they were three or four years old, compared to those who began engaging in chores when they were 15 or 16 years old. Therefore, beginning to assign chores to your children at a young age is only going to help them in the long run!

Keep reading for a list of chores that your child can begin today, as well as ideas for keeping your child motivated.

When assigning chores to your child, it is important to keep the tasks simple and direct. Too many steps might overwhelm your child. Additionally, children diagnosed with ADHD can become distracted and get off task easily. With that in mind, it is important to be ready to assist your child when they need it. 

Here is a list of chores that your child with ADHD can begin today:

• Washing dishes
• Putting dishes away
• Cleaning the floor
• Feeding a pet
• Making their own bed
• Cleaning their room
• Folding laundry

Motivating Your Child with ADHD to Complete Chores

There are a variety of ways to tailor chores so that they are stimulating and motivating for your child. Chores will become easier and power struggles will be minimized if you support and encourage your child, keep a chore chart, set timers, offer rewards, and have consequences for your ADHD child in place. 

Additionally, there are games available for making chores more enjoyable! Joon motivates children to focus and stay on top of their daily tasks with a game that turns to-dos into fun!

Here are more helpful tips to make chore time easier.

Support your child 

Children with ADHD tend to have difficulty focusing and staying on task. Therefore, as a parent, be prepared to provide support and assistance where needed. Your child’s difficulty with focusing on tasks could potentially be exacerbated when they are asked to engage in non-stimulating or “boring” tasks, like laundry or washing the dishes. 

Assigning your child appropriate chores for their age and providing your child with simple step-by-step instructions is encouraged. In addition, giving written instructions so that your child can check off tasks as they are completed will allow your child to prioritize and initiate properly. 

Try Joon App

If you are looking for an app that is designed for kids to complete chores and get rewards in the game, try Joon. Joon is an ADHD app designed to gamify tasks in real life with rewards in the game. Here's how it works:

Claim your 7-day free trial here.

Encourage them

Children will thrive off of positive reinforcement. Not only are positive reinforcement and praise beneficial in preventing unwanted behaviors in children, but it is also helpful for the development and growth of your child’s self-esteem. 

By reinforcing participation in chores and household tasks with praise and encouragement, you are allowing your child to have a more positive association with tasks that might have been previously thought of as “mundane” and pointless. 

Keep a chore chart

Children often work best when they have a consistent routine. When children have a visual schedule or chore chart that they can see, it provides them with structure and organization to keep track of the chores they have already completed. This will also encourage your child to stay motivated as they complete chores and get closer to their rewards. 

Review the best chore apps for kids to get them motivated to do the work.

Set a timer

Setting a specific amount of time for your child to complete their chores will help not only improve their productivity but will also set clear expectations for tasks that need to be completed. Giving your child an endless amount of time to complete chores will just reinforce your child to put off chores indefinitely. Therefore, it is better to provide your child with a time limit and a clear goal in mind.

Offer a reward

Providing incentives to complete tasks is beneficial for any child, not just those who have been diagnosed with ADHD. By providing your child with a reward, you are reinforcing the value of completing their chores. 

Rewards can take many forms. They can be big or small. Rewards can include things like extra screen time, going to your child’s favorite park, going over to a friend’s house, or receiving a treat. It is important that whatever the reward is, it is something that you can commit to and provide your child with. 

Set consequences 

Like providing your child with rewards for completing chores, instilling consequences are equally as important. Consequences teach accountability and that children’s decisions will ultimately affect them. Make sure that your child clearly understands the consequences if they choose not to complete their chores, or if they were to forget. 

Caroline Mendel, PsyD, a clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute, recommends predicting success next time. She suggests saying: “next week is another chance to do your chores and earn your allowance. I know you can do it!” 

Takeaway

For children with ADHD, chores can be a positive and rewarding experience. As noted in this article, there are numerous chores that you can start with, as well as some tips for keeping your child motivated as they complete them. 

Teaching your child with ADHD the value of completing chores can be challenging, but with continued determination and consistency, you will be teaching your child life skills that will only better them for the future.