Little helpers make light work of chores

SINGAPORE - You know what they say about a messy home being a happy home? Unfortunately for my children and husband, I don't subscribe to it.

Worse, I believe in child labour and the sharing of housework.

There are several other things I have learnt since we decided to do without a maid last year.

I am happier facing a clean and neat home. It makes my day when my kids and husband help with housework. Doing a little each day goes a long way.

At the same time, there are also several things I have learnt about my kids and husband.

They don't mind doing a little each day as long as there is time for play. They function better in a clean and neat home - they just don't realise it yet. It makes their day when I offer to do their chores.

From day one of my maid's departure, I have mandated that everyone helps out. Not even my three-year-old daughter Shannon is spared.

In fact, three is probably the best age to begin any housekeeping training - the child is less resistant and any job can be turned into a game.

After a grocery run, for instance, I ask Shannon and her seven-year-old brother Jason: "Who wants to help mama unpack the groceries of tissue boxes and toilet paper rolls? Shall we see who can do it the fastest?"

I usually have just one enthusiastic helper - Shannon. Jason, unmoved by my offer of a race to unpack toilet paper rolls, is shaking his head in disbelief at the naivete of his younger sister.

Eighteen months into my role as a maidless working mum, I have tweaked my assignment of chores countless times and I think I have finally hit on the right formula to get the home looking less like a war zone.

It all comes down to matching the chores to the person with the right personality, never mind the age.

Shannon is by nature neat and organised, compared to the boys in our home. So putting away groceries and folding clothes are right up her alley. As are jobs like lining shoes on the shoe rack and washing sand toys.

My emphasis is on doing the job, not how well the job is done. But she is also great at reminding the boys to do their chores, somewhat like a mini mummy or a pint-sized policewoman.

These are in addition to her basic chores such as keeping toys after play, putting her water bottle or the dirty dishes in the sink, and throwing soiled clothes in the washing machine.

After more than a year of training, Jason is now efficient in performing his chores. His aim is to get work done as quickly as possible, so he has more time for play.

To harness this nature, I assign him speedy jobs which do not require one to be meticulous, like disposing the garbage down the chute at the lift landing - he is out and back to the home in 20 seconds - feeding the fish and collecting the newspapers from the door each morning.

He is also in charge of placing old newspapers in a stack near the door.

In return for his newspaper work, he gets to keep the cash from the karung guni man when we sell the old newspapers. This keeps him happy at the job.

These are in addition to his basic jobs such as putting away his folded clean clothes, rinsing non-oily utensils after use and putting away his toys.

Doing these chores does not mean the home is never messy or that we avoid activities that create mess.

It just means we clean up after that, or move messy activities outside, along the corridor. Large, labelled bins also make clean-up painless.

Instituting some basic rules has also helped. For instance, if Jason asks to watch the television, I say: "Sure, after you have put away your clothes."

Having a visual reminder for Jason - a list of chores written on a whiteboard - is also useful.

For now, we are still at the stage of constant reminders. In all honesty, it is easier to do the jobs myself than have to constantly remind the kids to do them.

But in doing their share of the housework, I hope they grow up to be responsible and appreciate that work is needed to maintain a home.

The aim is also to have them do it often enough, until it becomes second nature to them.

It may be a different story for the older ones in the family.

You know that saying about how you can't teach an old dog new tricks?

It is unfortunately true - I've started getting the children to put away their papa's folded clothes.

janeng@sph.com.sg

facebook.com/ST.JaneNg

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