It can be difficult to engage teenagers in family activities and DIY Home Projects when they seem to be wrapped up in their own, busy lives. However, there may be entry points for them to get involved when you are improving or renovating your home. From drawing up designs to receiving rewards, your teen will be enticed to jump in and help out. Here are a few fun ways you can get every family member excited about DIY Home Projects.
Brainstorming Collaboration
Generally, people become excited about DIY Home Projects and more likely to follow through with their work when they have a stake in the project. Allow your teenager to be present during design and renovation brainstorming meetings.
By providing space for them to voice their opinions, they will feel like they have something to contribute. You can both browse interior design websites and blogs for inspiration, then share your individual findings. Not only will this collaboration get your teen involved in your project, but it will also teach them valuable skills. They will learn about home design, budgeting and project planning. Not bad, huh?
Picking Out Fun Elements
Your family members will also be motivated to help out if you allow them to choose things for the home. For example, your teen will be hooked into the home improvement project if they can choose their own showerhead with spa-like features or neon lights for their bedroom.
When you let them choose a specific item, they will likely be invested in the whole process. This may also be a good time for them to learn how to replace a showerhead and develop some handy skills.
If you have a teenager who loves to spend time in the kitchen and you’re in need of new appliances, let them help you out. Give them initial control over choosing an oven, stovetop or fridge that will suit the family and your lifestyle.
If they’re working toward finding an appliance that will benefit them, they will want to find something that will work well within the space. They can create a presentation of their top choices that you can review together to make a final, joint decision.
Rewards for Hard Work
If your teen has zero interest in home design or improvement, you can provide rewards as an incentive for participation. Make sure your teen works for a long period of time before they receive the reward. Otherwise, their commitment will be fickle.
Talk with your teen about a big purchase item they’ve been wanting and have that be their reward. You can create a fundraising chart with a photo of their reward. This way they can keep track of their progress and stay motivated. If the reward isn’t an item but rather money, keep track of their wage accrual in a financial management app.
Specific Project Schedule
Keep your teens honest and committed by publishing a home improvement work calendar. The days and times should be specific so your teen can know them in advance and schedule their social activities around them. When they know that they will need to work with you ahead of time, it will be difficult for them to come up with reasonable, last-minute excuses.
For extra reminders, start a group calendar on your smartphones that notifies and reminds them of their home project commitments.
As a parent, there are many moves you can make to get your teen wholly involved in DIY home projects. By allowing them some agency and providing an opportunity to build their skills, they will be keen to jump into whatever project you throw their way.
9/9/18 I got to see a sweet friend of mine today and her little girls. They are so adorable! Sometimes I miss having a little one at home but other times I like that my kids are now more independent. I guess it is a bittersweet kind of thing.
Krystle Cook – the creator of Home Jobs by MOM – put her psychology degree on a shelf and dived into a pile of diapers and dishes instead. She is a wife and mother to two rambunctious boys, sweating it out in her Texas hometown. She loves cooking, DIY home projects, and family fun activities.
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