Kids need to do some chores. All of us had to when we
were kids ourselves. Some people disagree, but doing some chores that are
appropriate to a child’s age and abilities can even help with building self
confidence. Sharing the work, make it fun, laugh through it, kids will feel
really good about the accomplishment when it’s done. These are learning skills
that raise their self esteem and will serve your children well in the years
ahead. In other words, it is a necessary part of instilling independence and
responsibility within them.
Doing chores means kids become empowered and capable
of doing other things.
An important
point: Don’t re-do their work!
If they think the dishwasher is full, then let them set it going. Eventually,
they will figure out how to get all the dishes in, because that’s easier than
doing two loads on one Saturday afternoon. Eventually, they will get tired of
handwashing the dishes that come out with debris on them. They need the consequences of their actions to figure out how things
work.
Are you not sure about having your kids help you
clean, or may be you don’t know what they should be able to do? Then just check
out the following 5 reasons:
- They contribute to the household.
They make the messes, eat the food, wear the clothes, dirty the dishes, etc
just like you do. They need to contribute with cleaning up after
themselves and doing chores.
- They learn important skills they will use throughout their lives.
This is a huge one. Home is the perfect place to learn how to do
things. If they don’t learn it first at home, they will have to learn it
somewhere down the line. I was just talking to one of my kids the day
about how it’s no fun being an adult trying to figure things out. Teach
them now so that they will be ready later.
- They learn to be responsible.
Responsibility is key. If they know that they are in charge of
something and that people are relying on them, they are much more likely to
follow through.
- They learn the value of work.
Another huge one. I think it’s a big problem with today’s generation.
Hard work has been lost along the way. I don’t think anyone
naturally loves to work. People learn to love it or learn the importance
of it by doing it over and over.
- They appreciate more.
When kids know how much work goes into something, they start to have
appreciation for it. They realize that when they dirty a dish, someone
has to clean it. Or if they clean a floor and someone comes walking in
with muddy feet, it’s frustrating.
It’s hard to know what is age appropriate for each child. Every kid
is different, so this is just a guideline. Some kids will be ready for
more quickly, while others will struggle within their age group. That’s
ok. Take what works in your family
and run with it. Each category builds on the previous. So by the time
they are teenagers, they should know all the basic cleaning skills and chores.
You may also like:
No comments:
Post a Comment