How to Share Housework During Coronavirus

Assigning Tasks Fairly

1. Include everyone in the decision-making process. Have a family meeting to talk about the housework that needs to be done and to assign the chores to the people in your home. Explain the need to keep your home clean and tidy while you're locked down to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Allow people, even the young children, to voice their opinions so everyone gets their fair share of chores and duties.^[1]

   1. While everyone will end up getting chores they maybe don't love, it's important that you try your best to distribute tasks as fairly and evenly as possible. Letting people voice their opinions will help them understand the importance of and embrace the tasks they receive.
2. Give children younger than 5 simple tasks that they can accomplish. Kids younger than 5 years old may have difficulty completing complex chores such as washing dishes or folding clothes. But, they can still do their part! Give them assignments that are simple and age-appropriate so they can pitch in just like everybody else and have a sense of accomplishment.^[2]

   1. Have them put dirty clothes into a hamper, sort and match clean clothes, or put away toys, games, and movies.
   2. Get them to keep their rooms clean and pick up after themselves.
3. Have children aged 5-10 help organize and clean the house. Kids between 5 and 10 years old can pick up after themselves, clean their rooms, make their beds and do more general household tasks such as washing dishes, dusting and wiping down surfaces, and setting the table. Have them lend a hand with cleaning up and helping to organize for more complex tasks.^[3]

   1. For instance, they could gather the clothes hampers and place them near the washing machines to help out with laundry.
   2. Be patient with kids that are struggling to finish their tasks. Take a moment to show them the correct way to do something if they're having trouble.
4. Get pre-teens and teenagers to help out with complex tasks. Kids over 10 years old can really pitch in and knock out more complicated chores like vacuuming, preparing food, loading and unloading the dishwasher, and laundry. Don't overwhelm your pre-teens and teenagers, but give them tasks that they're able to handle and would be really beneficial to everyone else in the home.^[4]

   1. Older teenagers can do things like mowing the lawn and cooking meals as well.

   Warning: If you give teenagers tasks like taking out the trash or retrieving the mail, make sure they understand the importance of washing their hands and avoiding touching surfaces that may be contaminated. Never give tasks that involve potential exposure to coronavirus to young children.

5. Split chores evenly between adults in your home. Tasks that are more complex or require you to take safety precautions, such as retrieving packages, taking out the trash, or disinfecting items that were outside of the home need to be evenly divvied up between adults. That way, everyone is doing their fair share, and nobody feels overwhelmed by the tasks they're given.

   1. For example, if you're in charge of taking care of the laundry, another adult can be responsible for keeping the dishes clean.
   2. Assign tasks based on people's talents or interests. For instance, if you're husband is a great cook, maybe you can handle cleaning up the dishes afterward.
6. Break up larger tasks into smaller pieces multiple people can do. Everyone can do their part when it comes to big, complicated tasks such as cleaning out a garage or attic. Instead of giving the job to 1 person, bust it up into bite-sized pieces so everyone can chip in and make the task easier.^[5]

   1. For instance, if you're looking to clear out the basement, have adults and older teenagers lift and move heavy objects, and do complicated tasks like mopping. Younger kids can sweep and pick up smaller items.
   2. Try to distribute the pieces of a larger task as evenly as you can.
7. Create a chart or list of chores and assignments for everyone. Living in the time of the coronavirus can make you feel powerless and overwhelmed, but a schedule can help you and the people who live with you regain a small sense of control. Make a chart or schedule that lists the housework tasks and who they're assigned to so everyone knows what their duties are. Place it in a central location such as your refrigerator or on the wall in the living room.^[6]

   1. Make a chore chart that everyone in the house can follow.
   2. Add colors and stickers to the chart to make it more lively and engaging.
   3. Leave a marker nearby so people can mark off tasks as they complete them and feel a sense of accomplishment.