Kids are so busy these days. Much more than I was when I was young. While I also participated in sports, clubs, and had homework and tests to study for, I don’t really remember feeling stressed or overwhelmed because I had too much to do.
Academic pressure in our society is very real. As our children grow and ascend into higher grade levels, each year presents a new challenge to overcome. It might be a learning a brand new subject, taking a new assessment, computer based assignments, AP classes, college applications, or just having to make new friends because, for whatever reason, your child doesn’t have any of his close friends in his classes.
As a mom myself, I struggle with how much more to pile on my kids. How much more do I give or expect them to be responsible for?
I know it’s important that they learn how to take care of their things, how to clean and manage their time. I feel it’s also important that they understand that they’re part of a family and a family is a team. And “our” team works together to take care of each other and our home.
As a working mom, I NEED the extra help. There isn’t enough hours in the day to do it all myself and to be honest, I don’t want to nor do I think I should have to. Maybe you can relate?
Let’s begin with the top 10 benefits of chores:
- Facilitate physical development. Having chores from a young age helps to develop gross and fine motor skills and coordination. Kids naturally want to help when their young so start early and make it a habit!
- Provide learning experiences. Kids learn something when they perform household tasks. Whether it’s why the chore needs to be done or how it’s carried out, knowledge will be gained and retained. And when they grow up, their future spouses will appreciate it!
- Help kids feel they belong. Chores help kids feel like an important part of the family. It’s especially helpful when you and your other family members take notice and positively comment when children complete their tasks. You don’t need to “reward” but you do need to “recognize”.
- Keep kids busy and out of trouble. There’s some truth to the idea that when kids are doing a household task, you know they’re engaged in a positive behavior that could benefit them in the future.
- Kids contribute to the home. Doing chores provides kids with ways to contribute to the household. As children feel like they’re contributing in some way, they begin to develop and feel pride. “I can dust the tables all by myself” is a powerful message for a 7-year-old. It also gives them an opportunity to enjoy the feeling of a job well done.
- Build self-esteem. Consistently giving chores to kids builds their sense of their own abilities. After all, think of all the things they’ve learned how to do over the years.
- Demonstrate the importance of taking care of personal items and one’s home. The best way to show a child how important it is to take care of his own property and the house is to assign him chores. This way, your child observes and experiences how life is lived and discovers first-hand the necessities of doing certain chores.
- Teach kids responsibility. When a child is solely responsible for a job getting done in the home, he learns to take responsibility for that task. As they mature, children learn that people in the home depend on them to complete their chores properly and in a timely fashion.
- Children discover the value of cooperation. When large chores, like raking leaves, are shared by the whole family, kids see how integral it is to cooperate with one another.
- For example, two people can rake the leaves and then help each other with bagging them. Then, a third family member can move the bags to the curb.
- Taking part in these “live-action teaching moments” impresses on your kids the value of working cheerfully with one another. Also, it instills the idea that in many instances, cooperation is vital to getting the job done.
- Introduce children to the world of work. Assigning chores in your home will be your children’s first introduction to working.
- One of the most important things you can do for your kids is to teach them about what it’s like to have a job and have people counting on them to carry it through. Plus, children will learn to enjoy working and that what they’re doing is making a difference.
- They may not like doing chores – most of us don’t – and that’s okay! The lesson there is that sometimes we all have to do things we don’t like, right? That’s life! A way to help keep them motivated and involved is to come up with a few different chores and then let them pick which ones they’d prefer.
Giving chores to your kids will teach them crucial lessons about life, cooperation, and work.
Commit today to consistently assign chores to your children and watch as they reap the benefits now and in the future.
P.S. Not sure what chores are age-appropriate for your munchkin? Check out this awesome resource by Positive Parenting Solutions.
