Most children have a natural inclination to productivity and creativity, and parents could find means to channel this drive into household chores.
Household chores benefit children in different ways. For example, it allows them to feel that they play a role in something larger than themselves. It can also teach them that family members should help one another, as well as the value of responsibility.
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Unfortunately, for many of these children, household chores can be a drag, which is why they would rather do anything else than help in the home. Technology has also had a hand in more and more kids resisting doing chores.
Some parents would resort to coercive tactics to get children to obey. However, this could diminish the message household chores were meant to instill in children.
The same can be said on monetary enticement, as kids might get the wrong idea that doing chores only means that they gain something from it – rather than them learning the meaning of responsibility and being part of the bigger picture. An argument, though, can be made for this “reward system” as it could help impart the value of money and hard work to children.
There are also other ways to encourage children to be involved in the house, such as making it like playtime for younger kids, including chores as part of their daily routine, switching up routines, and finding out where they are good at and more.
Moreover, parents should avoid associating punishment with household chores. For example, when they misbehave or do something wrong, chores should not be meted out as a penalty, if possible. The only time this is probably appropriate is if a child does something wrong to his sibling and to make amends, he is given the sibling’s assigned tasks.
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| Image source: smallishmagazine.com |
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