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Should children do housework? It is a controversial question. Many parents do not tend to let their children do housework because they want their children to focus on their studies. This thought must be changed. Doing housework brings to children many benefits that we may not know. Therefore, in our topic today on TrueRemedies, we would like to introduce to you many positive effects of chores on children’s development. Moreover, this article gives you some ways to teach your children to do housework in the right way.
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What Do Children Learn From Housework? How To Teach Them In The Right Way
I. What Is Housework?
According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries, housework is the work of taking care of a home and family, for example, cleaning and cooking[1]. In modern life, not only women but also other family members such as men and children have to do housework.
II. How children benefit from housework?
Do not hesitate to tell kids to do housework because not only you want them to share with you, but also housework has positive effects on children’s development.
1. Housework Builds Children’s Responsibility
Children are a part of the family, so it is clear that they also have the responsibility with household. Chores help build the responsible adults in the future[2]. Moreover, according to a small longitudinal study which is done for 25 years, the adults who did household tasks at age 3 or 4 tend to be successful in their mid-20s because they have more responsibility in other areas of their lives[3].
2. Housework Builds Children’s Empathy
Asking children to do chores is one of the best ways to teach them how to be empathic. The psychologist Richard Weissbourd of the Harvard Graduate School of Education concluded that after doing housework, children tend to be more helpful and care for others[4]. When kids do homework, they will know that there are a lot of things their parents have to do at home after working, then they will have empathy with parents in particular and other people in general.
3. Housework Makes Children Feel Competent
Doing housework can increase the competent feeling After finishing one task, children may feel satisfied and proud of themselves. Therefore, they also may have a higher level of self-confidence.
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4. Housework Makes Children Happy
Researchers showed that doing chores makes children happier. It is very bad when the children can do housework, but they just stand and see their parents do chores. All members of the family do housework helps reduce the pressure on everyone, then reduce stress and make a family’s environment better. Therefore, start sharing the housework with children!
5. Housework Makes Children Independent
Absolutely right! Grandparents and parents cannot always be children’s side. The children have to know how to live by themselves, including how to manage time to do chores in the house. Teaching them how to do housework since they are small is an effective way to make them become independent adults in the future.
III. Teaching the children in the right way
Asking children to share housework is not an easy task, especially when you have never told them to do it before. Children usually think that housework belongs to their parents or grandparents, not them, and their mission is studying. Here are some tips that adults can apply when teaching kids to do chores.
1. Choose Suitable Task For Children
You cannot tell small children to cook meals because they may be injured due to knives, scissors, hot oil or hot water. Therefore, remember to tell children to do the tasks which are suitable for their age and capacity. Here are some suggestions for you[5]
– From 2 to 3 years old:
+ Put toys in the right place
+ Put clothes in the wardrobe
+ Dust chairs and tables
– From 4 to 5 years old:
Any of the above chores, plus:
+ Make their bed
+ Clear table after meals
+ Pull weeds in the garden
+ Water flowers
+ Wash plastic dishes
– From 6 to 7 years old:
Any of the above chores, plus:
+ Sweep floors
+ Set and clear table
+ Pack clothes and meals
+ Keep bedroom tidy
– From 8 to older
Any of the above chores, plus:
+ Peel vegetables
+ Clean windows, doors, etc.
+ Cook simple meal with supervision
+ Iron clothes
+ Do laundry
2. Do Housework Together At The First Time
The children cannot do housework automatically; they have to learn. Therefore, when doing chores with them, you can not only help them know how to do it but also make the task done quickly. You can show them how much dishwashing liquid is enough or how to clean the kitchen shelf.
3. Give Children The Responsibility
After the first time, let children do housework by themselves. Many parents try to fix their children’s mistakes after they have done. You should not do that. If the children make mistakes, tell them to fix, not you. The children need to be responsible for what they do. They have to be in charge of the task you give them completely.
4. Encourage Children
Parental encouragement plays a crucial role in children’s development, especially process skills, including the skill of doing housework[6]. As a result, do not forget always to encourage your kids. You can tell them they are doing a good job and say thank you to them for being an active member of the family. Do not be so strict! Sometimes, you can help them if they have a lot of homework or they are sick. Furthermore, occasionally, when you are too busy to do housework, you can also ask for their help. Showing kindness in these situations helps the relationship between the family’s members closer.
On the other hand, try to avoid blame and criticize the children. All of us can make mistakes, including children. Furthermore, one of the reasons causing mental health diseases such as depression and anxiety in children is high levels of criticism from parents[7]. Do not shout at them when they accidentally break the bowl or give them the disparaging words when the food they cook is not delicious. You should help them improve, and encouragement will be the motivation for them.
5. Have Clear Work Division
It is essential to share equally the housework, especially when you have more than one kid. However, remember to choose a suitable task for each child. For example, the older kids can help parents fold the laundry, and small kids will put clothes in the wardrobe. Make sure that all members of the family will have to do at least one task, so your children will not feel unfair with their siblings. One thing you must know that adults are the models for children. According to many studies, women spend more time on housework than men[8]. Another research showed that unequal division of the domestic work could lower relationship quality[9]. Therefore, parents should have an equal division of chores which not only has positive effects on children but also lowers family stress, resulting in increasing members’ relationship level.
6. Consider Money For Chores
In many families, parents pay children for chores to make them motivated in doing housework. However, you should consider carefully about this issue. Kids do housework because they are a part of the family. Doing housework is their responsibility. They are not employees who have to be paid. Besides, children may think that they do it when they are paid for it. Instead of giving them money, for the daily tasks, try to give them encouragement “well done”, “very good”, etc. Sometimes, you can allow them to do something they want, such as watching a cartoon or playing outside. For some tasks we do weekly or monthly such as wash car or pull weeds, a little money may be the gift after they help you do well. Remember to tell them to save it and use it only when they need something such as buying new books or new school supplies.
In conclusion, we hope that our topic today gives you helpful and interesting information when raising your children. Raising children to become good people is a long-term task, which requires your patience. As a result, do step by step, and it is essential to let children do housework due to its benefits on children’s development. If you have kids and you have never asked them to do housework, it is time to let them do.
All content provided is for informational & educational purposes. We recommend you consult a psychologist specialized in raising children to ask for advice about any problems, not only about doing chores.
If you have any questions or comments, please leave them in the comment box. We are very glad to hear your opinions, and we will answer as soon as we can.
In short, please visit our Parenting page to see more topics to make parenting easier.
