Why your kids should do chores!

Many parents especially mothers think that sparing the child from any household chores is a way of showing love but it is just like the good old adage that says ‘spare the rod and spoil the child’. There are many advantages in giving kids chores to do around the house. While it can be easier to do the chores yourself, the fact remains that the kids helping out in everyday tasks is important for your child’s development.

Children should be given chores to help them develop a caring attitude towards life generally. The chores you give your child can go a long way in teaching your child a valuable lesson that will last him/her a life time and beyond. Some parent s fail to realize that giving kids chores can help build and boost their morale and self esteem. Getting a chore done by a child and doing it well can give the child a major sense of accomplishment.  Giving kids chores can emphasize the value of keeping things clean and organized and it can also set a pattern of helping around the house even before they are called upon to do anything. Once you get your child into the habit of carrying out household chores, it becomes part of his/her life.

Many times we hear some mothers ask why their kids should do chores when the maids are there to do everything. They always argue that, that is why the maids are there, ‘to do the work in the house’ so that the children can have time for their studies and other things. Now, the question is, are these so called maids not also humans and do they not also deserve the right to do other things asides working and cleaning the house from dusk till dawn? Parents should not fail to realize that chores help build the child’s confidence, teaches responsibility and also respect for others when they do things for them.

Another big argument is whether kids should be rewarded for the household chores they do in monetary form? Some parents provide their kids with allowance or monetary rewards after carrying out household chores while others feel giving an allowance only dissuade the idea that chores are something that helps build self confidence in a child and the fact it is part of his/her contribution to being in the family and seeing that things in the home are properly done.

Many parents argue that offering kids money or allowances for a chore done, helps establish that money does not appear from anywhere just like that, that it has to be earned. To these parents chores are the best way to correlate the relationship between work and earning money. But then what happens when they refuse to do the work demanding for a rise in allowance or they have enough money and decide not to do any more household chores?

Giving financial compensation for chores can be a drawback in achieving the basic principles to partaking in family chores in the first place. If basic chores are linked to an allowance then kids may grow up feeling that they should be paid for everything and this will send a very wrong and dangerous signal to them. On the other hand, they may get lazy and decide not to partake in any family chore that money is not involved.

“I always keep allowances and chores separate. I might offer to pay for something outside the house like washing the car. Allowances are to teach money management. Chores just have to be done and there is no compromise about that. When kids grow up, they have to keep house clean whether they are getting paid or not. It’s all just part of living,” says Rakiya Ahmed, a mother of four.

Despite these facts, parents should be careful not to demand too much from their kids and should ensure that the chores are appropriate and fair. Chores should not be seen as a punishment for the kids but as something that must be done and it has to start from somewhere, which is from the home, if that child you so much love would be self disciplined and confident in life! Remember to appreciate their efforts with words of encouragement and praise; it will go a long way in ensuring the next chore is done in haste and properly.