For those who don't know, I have 2 daughters, ages 5 and 3, and a son who is 9 months. I am also a chore mom. That's right. My girls have chores and responsibilities. I've heard the great debate over whether chores are actually needed or basically child abuse. Here's my thoughts. My five year old daughter, let's call her Pri, has 5 chores. She is responsible for taking out the bathroom trash, washing her plastic dishes, putting away her laundry, making her bed, and cleaning up her toys. My three year old, Car, has three chores. She is responsible for the livingroom trash, her toys, and her bed. Sometimes she helps me with other things, like switching laundry or cleaning out the car. Ocassionally, my girls will do other things, like dust furniture or wash windows. This is done only if they want to and they usually get money for it. I don't know why they really need money but they have a nice amount of savings and want to spend it all on ice cream and present a for each other. Its helpful in teaching the value of money and other unrelated skills. It also makes them feel good.
I have one main reason for giving my children chores, responsibility. I believe a child is never to young to learn such a valuable life lesson. I'm not an evil person, forcing poor children to attend to all my needs. No, I'm a mom trying to give them the best chance in life. By teaching responsibility now, I'm giving them the tools to be successful in school and extracurricular activities. I'm teaching them work ethic and gratefullness. I've actually found several web articles on the subject supporting my decision. I want to hear from other parents on the topic. Do you support chores or disagree? I fully believe each parent will make the decision they feel is appropriate for their family. Here are some great resources for deciding what chores your child is capable of.
https://www.yourmodernfamily.com/should-kids-do-chores/
https://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/chores-for-children
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/family-dynamics/communication-discipline/Pages/Chores-and-Responsibility.aspx
I’m currently trying to get my 11 month old to simply put her toys back into her box 😂
ReplyDeleteI have the same struggle with my five year old! She will scrub walls and wash dishes but picking up toys is always a hassle. I try to make it a game. When that doesn't work I sometimes resort to bribery.
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