Why Pairing Chores with a Podcast Will Make Your Life Easier!

Jun 20

If your kids are anything like mine, getting them to complete their chores can feel like a chore in and of itself. It can be exhausting and sometimes it's tempting to give in to the complaining and just do the work myself. But I don’t actually want my kids to be lazy bums, so I keep trying.

I’ve tried chore charts and sticker charts and all the charts. Nothing has worked as consistently as it should and even though nobody likes chores, they just keep piling up.

Then one day, it hit me!

I don’t really like cleaning the house either, so what do I do when I need to get to work? I pull out my phone and pick a fun podcast to keep my mind entertained while I scrub the dishes.

Bingo!

Pair chores with a podcast for optimal success!

The next time I asked my kids to clean the playroom I suggested they turn on their favorite podcast and wouldn’t you know it, that podcast entertained them so well they didn’t realize they were cleaning and suddenly they were done and laying on the ground lost in a story.

Kids, similar to adults, like to be entertained and what better way to entertain them than with educational content that keeps their hands free to work on more menial tasks like cleaning the kitchen or mowing the lawn.

I can’t promise it will be perfect every time, but pairing chores with podcasts can certainly increase motivation.

3 Ways to Pair Chores with Podcasts

1. Make it Family Time- One of the best suggestions I heard was from a follower on instagram who said she uses the beautiful storytelling podcast, Circle Round to gather together as a family once a week to listen and fold laundry together.

In my family, we use “Wow in the World” to entertain us with silly stories and science facts while we clean up the kitchen after dinner.

Listening to podcasts together as a family is a fantastic way to make the time fly.

2. Reserve a specific podcast for a chore that is especially difficult. Based on the strategy of pairing by Gretchen Rubin, when you pair an unpleasant task (like cleaning the toilets) with something fun or rewarding (like a specific podcast that you reserve specifically for moments when you’re on your knees scrubbing toilets) your motivation to complete the task goes up! If there is a specific podcast your child loves, try reserving it only for when she is cleaning her room to see if her motivation to clean her room goes up. It’s worth a shot!

3. Try a serial podcast to extend your child’s attention and stay focused on the chore longer. I know a good serial podcast can keep my mind entertained for hours and hours, children are no different. Children’s podcast options have exploded the past few years and as a result there are dozens of incredibly high quality serial shows to entertain your child for hours on end.