How to get your children to help with housework

Lets face it, kids are savvy negotiators these days. Long gone are the times when as a kid,one stern look from dad, or the sound of a belt buckle coming undone sent you into action. Here are some strategies and  tactics for getting  your clever kids to do their chores.
Give them options- Let your kids decide from a list what chores they want to do. You make the list. Kids are far more willing to abide by their own choices than they are to follow your orders. Make sure you make the list according to their age and ability. When teaching young children to clean their rooms, make it as fun as possible, and break it down into small goals, ie: "pick up all the toys with the color red", etc. This keeps their mind active, and gives them small achievable goals.
Offer Incentives- Give your kid an incentive list they can pick their own reward from. Here again, you want to have a limit and you want to name the reward. We don't want to promise things to them that we can't give them. Make it reasonable. Do not make available incentives or rewards for completion of the chore, but rather base it on how well they did. This teaches your kid to work hard for what they want, and take pride in what they do. They will learn that doing your best pays off, not just merely doing what you are supposed to do to.
Consequences- Make sure your children know ahead of time what the consequences will be. A great tactic for getting the children to follow and abide by the chore agreement is to employ the "sibling rivalry punishment". This tactic, bear in mind only works with two or more children close in age. This is where the child that successfully completes their chores decide the consequences for the one that does not. Make a list of punishment options for them to pick from. Most children hate the idea of a sibling deciding their consequence and will usually make an effort to do their chores. In the event you only have one child, you will have to find other creative ways. In all cases in dealing with your child or children, you should use your brains, not physical punishment to get the right result. Most children do want to please their parents. Finding the right incentive is key. You can have your child name their own consequence, ( subject to approval ) for failure to stand by a chore agreement. You'd be surprised how well this works. That way if they fail to do what they agreed to, they have no one to blame but themselves for the consequences they face afterward.
Remember the praise- Whether your child is young or a teenager, remember to praise what they do. Always tell them specific things you thought they did extremely well. Especially when they are young and just starting to learn about keeping their rooms clean, and helping out with house work. Offer suggestions to them when you see room for improvement and always tell them how proud you are of them for their efforts.