10 tips to get your kids to do household chores

1. Start 'em young.
It's never too late to start, but the earlier, the better. There's one caveat, though. Until they're three, you can't expect children to do anything in a consistent fashion. The goal at that age is not necessarily for your child to really help with chores, but to help him learn about responsibility and being part of a family team.

2. Safety first.
This is your No. 1 concern at any age.

3. Keep it simple so they'll succeed.
When kids are young, give them basic tasks. Start off together the first few times, then progress to giving them guidelines so they can do the chore on their own.

4. Be specific.
Even with older kids, spell out what needs to be done. Don't say, "Clean up your room"; instead say, "Put your clothes in the dresser," or "Make your bed."

5. Pick age-appropriate tasks.
With toddlers, go for one-step chores such as putting a few toys in a container or setting napkins on the table. Bump things up a notch when they're preschoolers. For instance, ask them to put away all their toys. By the time your children are in school, you can add to their list of responsibilities, such as making the bed, hanging up towels in the bathroom or clearing the table, or at least their own spot.

6. Help keep older kids organized.
Give them a workspace, a garbage can, shelves and storage bins to reduce the amount of mess they make.

7. Don't pay for it.
Kids don't need to get paid for doing chores. Doing so leaves them with the message that they have an option. A better reward is to do something together, such as going out for ice cream, or offer up your praise for a job done. "However, if your child comes to you and says, ‘I'd like to work part time and make some money,' then you can offer him money to do a specific job that's not part of his regular chores."