Teaching your kid to defrost a refrigerator is something that can train their independence. If you worry about the safety hazards that some tasks may have (like this one) this article is for you. This guide will assist you with the proper way of teaching your child how to defrost a refrigerator.

Why should you teach your kids to do chores?

This task can sound a little challenging because giving your kids chores may somehow slow you down. You want to get things done right away, right? But, deeds like these do not just free up your load, they also benefit your kids in the long run. 

Studies show that children who start early on doing chores tend to become successful. Those who start late may have lesser chances of acquiring this benefit. So, it is advisable to let children be part of chores as early as the age of three. Letting them do so would increase the chances of obtaining its benefits once they enter adulthood.

According to Janet A. Creek’s article on The Benefits of Chores for Kids and Teens, some of the advantages that doing chores can give your children are: 

• being independent
• being aware of the value of hard work
• being ready for new challenges
• being responsible
• being punctual
• being able to learn empathy
• being able to cope with delayed gratification

These rewards are a few of the things that they will gain which they can also get to keep once they become adults.

The Importance of Defrosting Your Refrigerator

Back to the matter at hand, the first step in teaching your kid to defrost a fridge is by letting them know why it matters.

Your child should understand its importance because in doing so, you get to save money from the electric bill. According to a professor from the Pennsylvania State University, Dr. Sarma Pisupati’s Energy Efficiency of a Refrigerator, regularly defrosting your refrigerator will allow you to efficiently use electricity. And, since this chore works on the maintenance of your appliance, this means that your fridge will have a prolonged life span. It will do its functions in the most optimized case possible; freezing your food and beverage quickly!

Guiding Your Child to Defrost a Refrigerator

Before we start, your child should make sure that the following are available: 

• large bowl
• clean and dry towels/cloths
• and bags or boxes (to keep your food in while the defrosting is in the process) 

To manually defrost a refrigerator, first, your child should remove the plug of your appliance from the wall socket. Assist them by checking if their hands are dry before doing this step to avoid electrocution. 

Then, remove all of the contents from the refrigerator including the ice from the bin. See to it that they are only handling what they can to avoid accidents where fragile things (e.g. glassware) may break and injure your child. 

After that, leave it open for eight hours. You could also suggest adding a hot bowl of water inside the unit while it’s being defrosted to speed up the process. Again, check on your child accordingly to reduce the risks of accidents. Do not forget to ask them to place mats on the bottom of the unit so the floor won’t get slippery from the water. 

Once eight hours have passed, make sure to remove moisture by letting them wipe inside the appliance with a dry towel. Your child can now plug the unit back in. After 24-48 hours, the fridge can now be used as it is.

Defrosting a refrigerator is a skill that is useful to teach at a young age. Preparing them for this kind of responsibility will give them a sense of accountability even with simple things. So, call your child now and let this be a hangout moment for the both of you.