How to Trick Your Kids Into Thinking Chores Are a Game

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Moms, if we had to rely on our kids’ intrinsic motivation to get chores done, our houses would look like a landfill, and we’d be one empty juice box away from completely losing it.

Kids hate chores.

They act like picking up their socks is a personal attack, like you’ve just asked them to donate a kidney rather than put their dishes in the sink.

Meanwhile, you’re over here trying to figure out how tiny humans who can memorize every character from Paw Patrol somehow “forget” where the laundry hamper is.

So, what’s the solution? Deception. Manipulation. Trickery.

Yes, mama. We are going to Jedi-mind-trick our kids into thinking chores are FUN.

Because let’s face it—if it’s not fun, fast, or full of snacks, kids don’t want anything to do with it.

But if you can rebrand vacuuming as an epic battle against the Dust Bunnies of Doom or make cleaning the playroom a high-stakes timed mission, suddenly, they’re in.

So grab a coffee (which you’ll have to reheat three times before drinking), and let’s get into how to trick your kids into doing chores without them realizing they’re actually working.

1. The Race Against Time (a.k.a. Mom’s Genius “Beat the Clock” Hack)

Kids LOVE beating the clock. If they think they’re in some kind of Olympic event, they will sprint to victory.

How it works:

• Set a timer for five minutes and say, “I bet you can’t clean this room before the buzzer goes off!”
• Watch them scramble like their lives depend on it.
• Hype them up with sports announcer commentary:
  • “OH WOW, LOOK AT THAT SPEED! JASON JUST PUT THREE TOYS IN THE BIN IN UNDER FOUR SECONDS! CAN HE BREAK THE WORLD RECORD?!”

Why it works:

• Kids love a challenge.
• They don’t have time to argue, complain, or fake a stomachache.
• YOU win because they clean up in record time, and you didn’t have to threaten to take away screen time.

2. The “Magic Spray” That Makes Cleaning FUN

Do your kids avoid cleaning like it’s a contagious disease? Time to introduce the magic spray.

How it works:

• Fill a spray bottle with water and a tiny drop of dish soap.
• Announce that it is MAGIC INVISIBLE CLEANING SPRAY that makes dirt disappear.
• Give them a rag and tell them they are secret agents on a mission to clean fingerprints, smudges, and dust off every surface.
• Act like you can’t see the dirt, and let them dramatically reveal it to you.

Why it works:

• They think they’re doing something special.
• Spraying stuff is weirdly fun for kids.
• It keeps them busy and mildly entertained for at least 10 minutes.

Bonus tip: Give it a dramatic name. “The Sparkle Blaster” sounds way cooler than “This is literally just water, kid.”

3. The Floor is Lava… But With Laundry

Nothing makes kids move faster than the threat of lava.

How it works:

• Dump a basket of clean laundry on the couch.
• Announce that the floor is lava, and they must throw all the socks into the drawers before the lava reaches their toes.
• Add dramatic music for extra intensity.
• If they slow down, yell things like,
  • “THE LAVA IS COMING! SAVE THE SOCKS! GET THEM TO SAFETY!”
  • “OH NO! THE UNDERWEAR ALMOST FELL IN THE LAVA—HURRY!!”

Why it works:

• Lava = high-stakes excitement.
• They forget they’re actually sorting laundry.
• You get to sit down while they do it.

Bonus hack: If you call it “Lava Laundry” enough times, they might actually start requesting it. Imagine that.

4. The “Mom Bucks” Bribery System (Because Sometimes You Gotta Pay Up)

Look, sometimes trickery isn’t enough. Sometimes, you have to straight-up bribe them—but make it SEEM fun.

How it works:

• Print out some “Mom Bucks” (or just use Monopoly money).
• Give them a payout system:
  • 1 Mom Buck for making their bed
  • 2 Mom Bucks for unloading the dishwasher
  • 3 Mom Bucks for cleaning their entire room without being asked 500 times
• Let them “cash in” their Mom Bucks for prizes:
  • 10 Bucks = Extra bedtime story
  • 15 Bucks = Ice cream night
  • 25 Bucks = A rare, glorious 10 extra minutes of screen time

Why it works:

• Kids love collecting stuff.
• They’ll literally do chores just to hoard fake money (seriously, it’s fascinating).
• It eliminates negotiating, because now they’re in control of their earnings.

Bonus tip: If you have multiple kids, let them spend their Mom Bucks together. Want ice cream night? You better convince your sibling to do chores, too. Suddenly, they’re parenting EACH OTHER.

5. The “Superhero Clean-Up Crew” (a.k.a. Put On a Cape and Watch the Magic Happen)

If you think a kid will refuse to pick up their toys while wearing a superhero cape, you are deeply mistaken.

How it works:

• Give them capes (or towels tied around their necks).
• Declare them The Superhero Clean-Up Crew.
• Announce a mission:
  • “Oh no! The Evil Mess Monster has attacked our house! Only YOU can stop it before bedtime!”
  • “Your Superhero Powers get stronger every time you put away five toys!”
• Act super impressed every time they clean something up.

Why it works:

• Kids love pretending to be superheroes.
• They don’t even realize they’re doing work.
• The drama of it all keeps them engaged longer.

Bonus hack: Change up the story each time. Maybe today, they’re defeating the Mess Monster, and tomorrow, they’re cleaning up a crime scene left by an escaped villain (a.k.a. Dad’s dirty socks).

The Brutal Truth: We’re All Just Making It Up

Kids are messy, stubborn, and have the attention span of a squirrel.

They don’t want to clean. We don’t want to fight them.

So we manipulate, deceive, and use every psychological trick in the book to get them to do what we need.

And honestly? That’s parenting in a nutshell.

Will they eventually grow up and realize they were duped into doing chores? Probably.

Will they still believe that socks disappear into a secret portal in the dryer? I can only hope.

For now, all that matters is that the laundry gets folded, the crumbs disappear, and we maintain the illusion that parenting is under control.

So go forth, fellow tired parents. Trick your kids. Win the war on mess. And remember: if all else fails, bribe them with snacks.