These days, there are children who have become used to having everything handed to them. Some parents think that their children should just enjoy “being kids.” Hence, from packing away their toys to opening food wrappers, everything seems to be done for them. However, this mindset may have detrimental effects on our children and they may develop “learned helplessness,” a condition with which a person suffers from a sense of powerlessness, feeling as though they will fail before they even try.
One way of encouraging our children to contribute to our home and be responsible is by exposing them to household chores. A study at the University of Minnesota showed that involving children in household chores can have a positive impact later in life. It teaches children a sense of responsibility, competence, self-reliance, and self-worth that stays with them throughout their lives. Teaching our children the concept of responsibility and contribution at home early will likely help them become successful later in life.
In an episode of the new season of Teach With Joy on Plus Network, author, wife, and homeschooling mom Joy Mendoza shared some tips on how to encourage and manage our children to do household chores.
- Share the responsibility with our children. This is so they can see how things should be done and at the same time, they don’t feel left behind. We can take on the harder tasks or model to them how a task should be done.
- Make it a bonding experience or a family lifestyle that you do together. Make the experience more fun so our kids won’t think of it as work.
- When we’re getting the kids to clean with us, make sure that we’re not using harmful chemicals.
- The older ones can model a chore to the younger ones.
Why do we need to make our children contributors?
- Contributors tend to become happier children. They get to help out at home. They get to see the blessings of helping others.
- Contributors tend to be less self-centered. They look for the needs of others.
- Contributors tend to grow up as skilled adults. They are more independent because they have learned these practical skills at home.
Lastly, in order to encourage our kids to be contributors, affirm them as they’re doing the tasks and chores.
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