Chores for Kids
- by age -
Whether they’re assigned in the form of a
chart, a wheel, or a jar, chores play an important role among families. Not only do regular
household jobs teach kids responsibility and
prevent a sense of entitlement, they instill in
children a vital sense of importance in the
family. When kids are able to participate in the
workings of a household in meaningful ways,
they internalize a powerful message: “My contributions matter; I matter here.” This feeling
of significance is a cornerstone of successful
family relationships.
The thing is, getting kids to do housework can
be a challenge. They don’t exactly jump for joy
at the prospect of folding socks or scrubbing
the sink. Children don’t have quite the same
priorities that parents do, and they’re certainly
not proactive about getting housework done.
When it comes to chores, there is often so
much nagging involved that parents frequently
resort to yelling, threatening, bribing, or just
doing jobs themselves because it’s easier than
enduring another power struggle.
If this sounds familiar, here are a few principles
to incorporate into your approach to chores
that will both help kids learn responsibility as
well as foster a strong, positive relationship
between the two of you.
|by Kelly Bartlett
take time to teach
Learning to keep up with chores is not something a child learns quickly. While seemingly
straightforward to the adults who do them all
the ti YK