Raising a child is no easy task, and you’ve probably already figured that out by yourself since you’re reading this. Many parents make the mistake of undertaking household chores by themselves and leaving their kids to play. While we’re not against children playing and enjoying their childhood, we do think that they’re missing out on an important educational part of life lessons.
You see, kids have a ton of energy. And while they surely do have other matters to attend to, it won’t hurt to teach them a bit about life’s responsibilities from time to time. Without going further into the moral dilemma, let’s explore the good part of giving your child chores to do around the house.
The Benefits of Doing Household Chores as a Child
Taking a part of the strain off your back isn’t the only reason you should assign chores to your children. Numerous studies have shown that chores have a direct beneficial impact on kids.
Researchers working on the Grant Study of Adult Development from Harvard have examined how social, psychological, and biological processes developed later in life in varying groups of test subjects.
The study concluded that people who took on chores early in life became more disciplined, organized, and were more likely to become happy, independent, and healthy adults.
Now you might wonder “why are washing dishes or mopping the floor so important for kids?” – one of the reasons is that it gives kids a sense of responsibility. Having something like this increases their cognitive functions and makes them become more aware of their surroundings.
Another essential aspect is teamwork. Kids will feel more accepted if they have to do things alongside other humans. That’s why it’s important to provide them with individual tasks that will help out in the bigger picture. It’s also an opportunity for bonding between parents and kids as well.
Examples of Chores For Your Children
Don’t know what your kids can help you out with? We’re happy to give you a few examples:
Washing Dishes
If you don’t have a dishwasher or have a couple of extra dishes that don’t fit, this is one of the easiest tasks you can give to a tween.
Learning how to wash dishes isn’t hard, and as long as you have a pair of one of the best dishwasher gloves to protect your little one’s hands from hot water, you’re golden.
Mopping the Floor
Another one of the easiest tasks your child could is mopping the floor. You can start teaching them how to do it properly when they’re tweens.
And it’s one of those tasks where you don’t even need to give them any rewards. How so? Because you can tell them that they can now play all over a clean house as a reward.
Picking Up After Themselves
Ironically, parents overlook giving their children this simple chore. It’s one of the most important life lessons you could give your kids even from pre-school age.
Doing so will teach them about personal responsibility early on in life. And it will also ease your workload when you’re doing your own chores.
Got any other chores that kids can easily perform without too much guidance? Let us know in the comments below and share your ideas for life lessons with our wonderful community.
