Working Mom Life Tip #4: Why Your Children Should Do Chores
Working Mom Life Tip: Kiddos and chores?
Chores and our cherubs, should they do them? How many of you did chores as a child? I know I definitely did and honestly I cannot remember a time when I was not doing things for myself and my family. Chores or life skills are so important for their development into independently functioning citizens. Personally I am thankful that I was integrated into the function of the household at an early age and developed life skills that have served me well in adulthood.
It turns out that more and more of our cherubs are not being raised in a life skill environment as the focus gets put on other things like the demands of school and organized activities like sports or the arts. After all, there is a huge focus on getting in all the items that make our children attractive to college admissions. Yikes!
In a Wall Street Journal article from a couple of years ago, the Braun Research survey of 1,001 US adults done in the fall of 2014 was cited. The survey showed that 82% of the participants reported doing chores growing up but only 28% reported requiring their offspring to do chores.
What Do Chores Teach Them?
- Responsibility. Simple things like keeping their spaces clean and orderly internalizes the habit of being neat and organized and hygienic. Making food for themselves and the family teaches them to serve and the skills needed not to starve as an adult. When they complete their family role, they feel like they are contributing meaningfully to the family. This breeds a desire for increased responsibility and investment in the success of the family unit. As they crush their life skills they gain the trust and respect of us as the parent.
- Confidence. When cherubs learn how to cook, clean and do their own laundry they are being set up to win as an adult. If they go away to college or get their first apartment on their own, they won’t have to stress over the part of the learning curve that involves these basic necessities and can focus on more complex portions like handling a more extensive budget and bill paying. In other words, chores in childhood makes adulting a bit easier :). They are more confident and secure in having these basic skills mastered.
- Selflessness. It is very hard to be selfish when you are doing your part to keep your family and household functioning well. Serving those that we love from an early age fosters an attitude of giving that is priceless. Serving in a nurturing environment makes for the development of that particular life skill more robust.
The age and type of activities will vary based on your cherub and your family situation. It is also not too late to start doing this even if you have never done it. There are benefits no matter when you start. Obviously, the longer you work on a skill, the more opportunity there is for mastery.
This whole parenting thing is hugely trial and error. Love you cherubs and support them in their dreams and passions and they will turn out well. Showing them how to function as adults can be aided by teaching them to do their life skills training in the home.
This blog is based on my opinion and data gathered from Facebook crowdsourcing.
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Be strong. Be brave. Unleash your greatness!
Charmaine Gregory
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