In some families, parents expect their children to do small tasks around the house. In many families, children do them without any complaint. But in some other families, parents think that children should not be doing any work. That is a big mistake from the part of parents.
Most of the children think only of receiving, and not of giving. Kids, today, spend their time playing video games or surfing the Internet or watching TV. Nothing more is expected from them.
What do you think of asking the kids do some household chores? Isn’t it important to ask the children just to keep the house and surroundings clean? Doesn’t it play an important role in the child’s mental development?
You should know that some parents are reluctant to have their children do household chores. After school, children have a lot of homework and other things. However, think about the benefits of doing some household work along with their studies.
Children will grow mature. It’s no wonder that children who do some household chores do better in school. It will help the children improve their self-confidence, discipline and personality. These are some of the essential qualities they acquire such activities.
Children will develop a mentality to be helpful. According to some observers, children who do menial jobs at home will grow up willing to serve society. It is not surprising, as these children are trained early on to prioritize the needs of others over their own. On the other hand if they are not asked to do anything, such children will start thinking that others will do everything for them. They will grow up without any sense of responsibility and hard work which are very important in life.
Moreover, it will strengthen the Family Unity. Children who help the family will not only feel that they have a big place in the family but also realize that they have some responsibilities in the family. If the parents give more importance to other things after the school, then the children will never learn this important lesson. So parents should consider: “Would it benefit my child to be with the soccer team or the family team?”
Parents should start assigning individual chores when children are three years old. Others suggest doing so when they are two years old or younger. This shows that young children like to work with their parents and imitate them.
Give jobs according to the age. For example, a three-year-old can be tasked with putting away toys, mopping up spills, or sorting laundry. Older children may be able to clean the room, wash the car, or cooking. Help your children develop their skills. You will be surprised how diligently they do all these household chores.
Prioritize tasks: Having a mountain of homework daily can be difficult to juggle with household chores. But doing small chores at home helps children to excel in their studies. These lessons learned by the baby will be very useful when they have a family of their own in future.
Think about the goal. Your child may take longer than usual to complete a task. They don’t do it very well. When that happens, don’t stop to take up the work immediately. Your goal is not to make the child work like an adult. Instead, it should be to help the child to become a responsible person and to experience the joy of working.
Quality is the reward, not money. Some say that children become more responsible when they are paid for their work. By doing so, the children will focus only on the reward they receive and not on what they can do for the family. When they have enough money in hand, they will think that they don’t need to do any more work. The benefit of providing household chores will be lost then. That is, if you pay the child, it should not be as wages for working.