Should kids have chores, or not? Some research tells us 10 good reasons why kids should have chores and the life lessons they’ll learn about being responsible.
If you have children, you know the deep bond that develops between parents and their children.
Because you love your kids, you want them to be happy. You want to give them the world, to feel loved, and to feel special.
It’s no wonder you struggle with the idea of assigning jobs to your children to do around the house! But, it’s possible that if you don’t dole out chores, you do your children (and yourself) a great disservice.
Many child and family experts believe that having your children help with chores is beneficial to both of you. Although it’s important that chores are both age-appropriate and not overly challenging, physically, for their age.
How Are Chores Beneficial To Your Kids?
I know, these days, plenty of parents are questioning whether or not their children should help with chores. You’ve likely heard that you shouldn’t make your kids do chores because you didn’t have kids to do housework.
Although it’s a joke in our house, I know darn well I didn’t have kids just so I’d have help around the house.
But, I had kids knowing I would be responsible for raising them to be self-sufficient and responsible adults. Teaching them responsibility is one of the main reasons kids should have chores, at least in my mind.
The skills they build doing chores are skills they can take with them into adulthood … learning to prepare meals, cleaning, organizing and managing their time.
Plus, it seems doing household chores has been linked to improved mental and physical health, especially as we age.
So, let’s discuss the top 10 reasons kids should have chores…
10 Reasons Why Kids Should Have Chores
Facilitate physical development.
Starting chores at a young age can help your child to develop gross and fine motor skills and coordination.
Provide learning experiences.
Your kids can learn something new when they perform household chores. Whether they learn why the chore needs to be done or how it’s done, your children will gain and retain that knowledge.
Help kids feel a sense of belonging.
Having your children take part in chores can help them feel like an important part of the family! Go the extra mile by taking notice and doling out positive comments when children complete their chores.
Keeps kids busy and out of trouble.
“Idle hands make fretful minds.” ~ Shelley Shepard Gray
There is some truth to the notion that staying busy with household chores means your kids are engaged in a positive behavior that could benefit them in the future.
Kids contribute to the home.
Doing chores allows your children to contribute to the household in various ways.
If you’ve ever heard a toddler bragging about being able to do something “all by myself,” you know children like feeling as though they can contribute. This helps them develop and build pride.
Build self-esteem.
Regularly giving chores to kids helps build a sense of their own abilities. After all, think of all the things they’ve learned how to do over the years.
Focus on time management
Kids who do chores have to learn to delay gratification and to organize their time. These are both vital skills to have as adults.
Whether cleaning up after themselves, making their beds, or sweeping floors, children will become successful adults.
Chores assigned by parents greatly contribute to a child’s positive self esteem.
Chores demonstrate the importance of taking care of personal belongings and one’s home.
The best way to teach a child how important it is to take care of his belongings and home is to assign him chores. And it is in this way that a child observes and experiences how real life is lived.
Teach kids responsibility.
A child who is solely responsible for getting a job done in the home learns to take responsibility for that task.
As they mature, children learn that people (or pets) in the home depend on them to complete their chores properly and in a timely fashion.
Children discover the value of cooperation.
Show kids how vital cooperation is by participating in family chores, like raking leaves. Doing larger chores together as a family will show them that team work makes large jobs quicker and easier.
Taking on big chores together is also a valuable lesson in communication as you work together to do the chore correctly and efficiently.
Our family chore is cleaning the boat after taking it out for a day on the water. We all got to enjoy the boat and we all get to clean the boat to preserve it.
Introduce children to the world of work.
Having chores will be your children’s introduction to working.
One of the most important things you can do for your kids is to teach them what’s it’s like to have a job. They need to know what’s it’s like to have people counting on them to carry out their duties. At some point, your children will learn how to enjoy and look forward to working.
Giving chores to your kids will teach them crucial lessons about life, cooperation, communication, and work ethic.
Should I Pay My Children for Doing Chores?
While payment for chores can be motivating, this is a personal choice parents need to make for themselves.
In our home, we pay for chores that:
- are not tied to personal hygiene
- benefit the entire family (cleaning of shared spaces, for example)
- are a necessity of daily living (clean laundry)
FAQS About Why Kids Should Have Chores
What chores can a kid do?
It depends on their age! Start toddlers with easy chores like cleaning up toys. 6 and 7 year olds may be able to help with setting the table or vacuuming .
How much time do kids typically spend on chores?
According to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, elementary aged students should do upwards of 20 minutes per week day with a slightly higher expectation on weekends and during the summer. They go on to say to expect up to 30 minutes per day for teens with larger chores on weekends.
What is a good punishment for not doing chores?
If chores are part of your allowance structure, withholding allowance is a good start. It may also be effective to cancel or not make social plans with your child’s friends until chores (like cleaning their rooms) are completed.
Can you commit to assigning chores to your children and watching as they reap the benefits of chores now and for years to come?
This post originally appeared on SAHM, plus … October 2022 and has been edited.
5 comments
Let children be independent and do small things to help them have good life skills.
Nowadays some parents are very indulgent to their children and don’t allow them to do housework and I don’t agree with that.
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