How to entertain children while doing chores

One of the main anxieties parents have had during this lockdown is how on earth they can get through the tasks of the day while supervising their children, and homeschooling them, and possibly working from home too, says Alice Beer.

My only hint is to make the task fun. Because if your child is entertained and happy you’re less likely to lose your rag and less likely to find the day quite so tedious. And they can help you as well!

Grocery shopping

We might find grocery shopping mind-numbingly boring. But children quite like making a list, being able to choose the veg and adding up the receipt - even selecting the veg you’ll be serving up that night. They take ownership, and learn about nutrition.

Walking the dog

If you’ve got to walk the dog and the children just don’t want to come, turn it into a game! Allocate a side of the road each, and allocate points for colours - whoever gets a yellow door, whoever gets a blue door. Anything that’s a game becomes more interesting for children.

Household chores

Turn chores into a game by timing absolutely everything. How many dirty mugs can you find around the house? How long does it take to change a duvet cover or strip a bed? Even reading a laundry label - decoding that secret code that most of us don’t know until we’re in a 30s. If you can teach your children to read a laundry label, you are winning at life!