Doesn’t it seem like we’ve gone too far in a wrong direction somewhere along the line? If you are active on social media, you have probably noticed that a growing number of parents are truly concerned over whether or not they are doing right by their children when assigning chores. Some parents feel that we are taking a special, magical time away from kids by giving them set chores to do and others feel like we are not instilling a sense of responsibility in our children if we don’t give them chores. So, which is it? In truth, even child psychologists embrace the idea of giving kids chores as soon as they are able to do a few.
Reader's Roadmap
Age-Appropriate Chores
As a parent, you know your child’s capabilities. Not all children progress at the same level and so you would need to tailor chores to an age-appropriate level. For example, let’s say you have one set of twins, both girls. One girl is a neat freak who goes through the house picking up toys and other items that get left all over the floor while the other twin is oblivious and just steps over anything in her path. Just because they haven’t begun kindergarten yet, doesn’t mean they can’t be tasked with picking everything up off the floor before going out to play.
That is an age-appropriate chore for pre-school age kids and one that helps in more ways than one! How many times have you slipped on a toy left in the dimly lit hallway only to end up at one of the Kneecare Clinics in St. Louis? So far, your luck has held, and nothing was broken, but that knee was seriously bruised and in need of therapy to get it bending properly again!
A Lesson in Responsibility
Another major complaint on social media is that no one seems to want to take responsibility for their own actions anymore. It is a growing phenomenon in 21st century society, and there is always someone else to lay the blame on. It has become all too easy to simply pass the buck instead of seeking a way to acknowledge we own a problem. Why can’t we simply say, “I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.” Believe it or not, assigning chores as a responsibility will help promote a concept early on of accountability.
An Appreciation for All That We Have
There is no getting around the fact that we all need to work. We all need to earn an honest living. Very few people were born with the proverbial silver spoon in their mouths and even then, those elite few who were born into wealth also need to work to keep the family fortune alive. Being assigned chores from an early age teaches us an appreciation for every little thing we have. Everything comes with a price and when that price is a bit of work, just how deep will that appreciation go?