It can be a battle to get kids to do chores at the best of times. I have a daily list of chores for my kids to do. The technique that I use is letting my kids choose from a list what they would like to do to contribute. I never use the word jobs, or chores. I always say responsibilities. This gives them the impression that it is a requirement, not just an optional extra.

When I need stuff to be done around the house I usually write a list and call the kids to the kitchen table. I show them the list and tell them to write down their name beside a responsibility they would like to do. Now I have four kids I don't know if that makes it easier or harder for this technique. Some would say easier but there are more kids to argue with one another.

Often there are ten or twelve responsibilities on the list and each child is only allowed to write their name down once, until they have completed that particular task. This saves one child from writing down and grabbing all their favourite chores at once while others miss out. When the child has finished one thing, they get me to check that they have done it correctly, then they can tick off their task as being completed and go on to the next task.

This seems to work well for me as the kids love to be the ones to choose what to do. Sometimes, even after they have chosen something, they end up trading tasks with a sibling if they think that they chose the wrong thing. It's quite funny to watch them sometimes. When you give them some control over what they can and can't do, they tend to be happier to oblige.

There are times when I need to ask more of my kids. When we have a complete house tidy and spring clean, I always give my kids plenty of warning. I believe this is a great secret. Always let your kids know well in advance what is expected of them. Imagine if your child had arranged to play with his friend one day, and all of a sudden you said to him, OK, you are cleaning for three hours this afternoon. You would not get a positive response from that child. But if you told him a week prior things might be different.

So I prime my kids well in advance for big tasks. I will usually tell them a few days in advance to put aside a certain day to be extra helpful. I will give them some indication of what needs to be done, and I will also tell them that they will have choices as usual. I will remind them again the day before, and again that morning. When you give kids this common courtesy they will not only appreciate it but will be more cooperative for you.

These are just little things but they have had a huge impact on my children. If you find something that works, keep on doing it.