How Your Kids Can Help You Find Time for Your Side Hustle
The Challenge of Being a Parent
Having children is time-consuming and not something that I write about on here often as I don’t have any children, but I know that lots of you do and I wanted to give you some ideas about how you can use that to your advantage when it comes to finding time for your side hustle.
In my career as a social worker over the past twenty years I have visited lots of families and have seen lots of different expectations when it comes to chores for children. Some parents don’t seem to expect their children to do a lot for their pocket money whilst others expect it to be earnt and their offspring have daily chores they need to complete before any cash is handed over.
Why You Should Give Your Kids Chores To Do
Personally, I don’t think that there’s anything wrong with making your kids earn their pocket money. It could be argued that it instills in them a good work ethic from a young age and makes them realise that if you want something you have to work for it. It also teaches them life skills and as they get older prepares them for leaving the nest. Too many young people have never cooked or don’t know how to work a washing machine when they first get their own place. So you could say that giving your kids chores to help free up time for your side hustle is actually doing them a favour.
If you’re currently one of those parents who does it all themselves I would urge you to reconsider as off-loading some of your responsibilities on to the kids is going to help enormously when it comes to finding time for your side hustle. Perhaps you’ve tried before and it felt easier to do it yourself as you spent more time trying to get your little ones to do the task than it would have to do it yourself or they made such as mess of it you decided it wasn’t worth trying. My advice would be to try again and to stick with it. Over time it will get easier. Perhaps the kids did it badly on purpose so you wouldn’t ask them again - and it worked!
Practical Suggestions
So how can you guarantee success when it comes to setting chores for your kids? Here are a few suggestions:
Give them tasks in line with their age and ability
Be realistic about what they are going to be able to do. Obviously this may also vary according to whether or not your child has any special needs. But you know them best. So choose wisely. And don’t make it too hard or too long. A toddler can pick up toys and put them in a toy basket and a six year old can set the table.
Give them something that they might like doing or at least is related to their interests
If they love the dog give them the job of feeding it and washing the food bowl out.
Give them a choice
List out the chores that they could do and get them to decide which ones should be allocated to them. We all like to feel as though we’ve got some control, even kids.
Make the task easier
If they’re going to be emptying the dishwasher maybe move things around a bit so the crockery cupboard is next to the dishwasher. Items should be kept on the lower shelves so the kids can reach them. When it comes to laundry you could keep underwear and other clothes that don’t require ironing in baskets. It will be much easier for the kids to put their clothes away if they’re not expected to fold them.
Reward them
If they do their chores well and without too much prompting let them have a little extra treat at the end of the week.
Make it enjoyable
Put some music on after dinner and clear up together. Let them take turns choosing the music.
Be consistent
Stick with it and it will get easier. Even if it feels like too much effort at first eventually it will get easier. They’ll get better and quicker and you’ll be rewarded with more time for your side hustle.
So there you have it, a few ideas for how you can get your kids to help out and free up time for your side hustle. Why not give it a go this week and then come back and leave a comment to let everyone know how you got on.
For more help finding time for your side hustle check out all of my courses here.