Doing chores is an essential part of every family. It’s like a tradition esp the household ones. Whether we like it or not, household chores are a necessary part of our everyday life, ensuring that our homes continue to run effectively and that our living environments remain organized and tidy, thereby promoting great health and safety. It’s a given that the adults will do their part around the house, however, when it comes to assigning housework to children, there’s some debate and we made this mentality that this is an adult thing…right?
Wrong! As a parent, we used to think that we shouldn’t let our children do household chores. But it proved to be very beneficial for the kids. Involving children in our daily chores gives them the opportunity to become active participator in the house. Holding children accountable for their chores can increase a sense of responsibility and it actually makes them more responsible. Children will feel more competent in completing their commitments and also their other tasks.
First, let’s understand why assigning such chores to kids is important.
- Help them to learn life skills
They’re young now, it’s sad but they won’t be kids forever! Laundry, cooking, and budgeting are just some of the skills your kids will need to learn once they start their journey. These are also things that schools do not sufficiently teach, making learning them at home is even more important. These are certain skills that will make them ready to face the real world.
- Teach teamwork
Being a productive member of a team can be represented for children doing chores. They need to discover that members of the family work as a “team” and thus are accountable to each other. They will recognize the fact that there will be consequences when you don’t meet each other’s expectations. Learning these lessons at home, where mistakes are more easily forgiven, can help kids develop strong teamwork skills to use at school or in their upcoming future.
- Develops empathy
Doing chores can help your child to develop empathy. Watching you work, they might be thinking of ways by which they can help you. You can indulge them by saying, “can you please help me with the dusting?”. After they’re done with the work, don’t forget to acknowledge their hard work. You should say “thank you”, and must show how happy and grateful you are and because of their help, you’d be able to finish your work on time.
- Your kid will learn time management
It feels like there are a gazillion things to do in the day, and fitting it all into our diaries is a huge challenge! Chores can help older kids and teens to establish good habits early. Juggling school work deadlines, housework, and their social lives aid them to learn to set priorities and manage their time and important skills for the working world. Time management is the most crucial thing to learn, the more early they’ll learn, the better human beings they’ll become.
- Family bonding time!
The last yet the most essential part of doing chores with your kids. Parents often grieve that chores take up time that could be utilized by spending with their kids. It gives you an opportunity to get along with your kid. Chores can actually create some special moments between children and parents. Little ones who always want to help will feel important and acquire a self-esteem boost, whereas moody teens may decide to open up over a shared task.
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After giving you a little brief about its importance, let’s quickly dig into how to assign them chores according to their age:
Toddlers (2 to 3 years)
- Ask them to help you out to put empty dishes in the sink
- Teach them to put dirty clothes in the washing machine
- Remember them to pick up their toys once they finished playing
Preschoolers (4 to 5 years)
- Organize the dining table
- Hand over you the wet washed clothes to let them dry
- Try to send them in nearby grocery stores
- Help you out with a dusting
- Can also water plants
School-age children (6 to 12 years)
- Help you with the food preparation
- Can try out the wet mopping
- Can clean their own room (cleaning, making their own bed, arranging their toys or books)
- You can get a hand while washing your vehicle
- Teach them with some easy to make recipes and assist them as well
Teenagers (13 to 16 years)
- Let them iron their own clothes
- You can also experiment with a little more complex recipes.
- They can help you out with the groceries maybe without assistance, just trust them!
- They can resew the broken buttons
Children are capable of doing much more than parents might think. Even the youngest family members can help with household tasks as early as two, and by the time your child reaches their teenage years, they can do nearly any chore you can. There are many benefits to giving children chores, and it also makes life easier for parents.