Okay, I can’t guarantee the promise of happiness, but a recent article called “Science Says Parents of Successful Kids Have These 13 Things in Common” posted on Tech Insider lists housework as a factor that could lead to success. children as adults. Author Julie Lythcott-Haims (How to Raise an Adult) is cited as a compliment to housework because it teaches children that “they have to do life’s work to be a part of life.”
Let’s look at the benefit of housework a little more deeply (and I’ll lay out my unscientifically proven theory on why it makes kids happier too).
1. Doing household chores increases self-esteem
Self-esteem is confidence in one’s worth and abilities. Young children may not have learned to read and older children may have difficulty with quadratic equations or long divisions, but most children can learn to make their beds and sweep the floor. Are these valuable tasks? Of course they are. And it is much easier for a child to understand the usefulness of a clean floor than it is to understand where algebra is going to work for them in their lives. Children who feel capable and competent have higher self-esteem. Housework is an area in which most children can develop competencies with relative ease.
2. Doing household chores makes children feel needy
When we care for our children hand and foot, we give children an erroneous estimate of their own importance. Ironically, like praising children too much, doing everything for children does not build their sense of being important; rather, it leaves children adrift and disconnected. What children want to feel is that they are important because their family needs them. When the character Dill in To Kill a Mockingbird explains to Scout, the main character, why he is running away from home, Scout wonders, “What would I do if Atticus [her father] I did not feel the need for my presence, help, and advice. “(143) Scout firmly recognizes her place in her family and knows how essential it is for her to feel needed by them. Contributing to the well-being of the family by doing household chores is a great way for children to feel an integral cog in the wheel of a quiet family life.
3. Doing chores share the work
In previous generations, families had many children precisely because a large workforce was needed just to keep the farm or family business running. As soon as they were able to walk, the children were assigned simple tasks. In this way, all the tasks of life were fulfilled and families prospered. Today, although more tasks are mechanized and there are fewer chores at home, people are also much busier outside the home. With parents working and children going to a full schedule of extracurriculars, there is very little time left for the tasks that are. And yet, “according to a 2014 survey by Braun Research, 82 percent of the adults surveyed said they had regular household chores when they were older, but only 28 percent reported asking their children to do something. (July 12, 2015). Wow Instead, imagine a home where work is shared as equitably as possible among family members. Children will appreciate much more what it takes to keep everyone fed and clothed. with clean clothes Appreciation is linked to happiness!
4. Children who do household chores reduce parental stress
With only 28% of children helping out on a regular basis, parents return home after a full day at work and face an afternoon full of homework. Just thinking about it is exhausting. Parents complain that they don’t have time to hang out with their children. But is it because your kids watch TV or play video games while their parents cook dinner? How about having the kids in the kitchen with you? One child can grate cheese while another cuts vegetables. While children’s hands and attention are busy, this is a good time to ask deeper and more open questions. Housework time becomes connection time, and human connection is one of the most important factors for happiness. One last hidden stress-reducing factor is that parents who aren’t doing the dishes or folding clothes after their kids have gone to bed can have time to sit next to each other and connect! Connected parents do a better job of supporting their children and making them feel safe.
5. Doing chores teaches children at home skills they can use at school.
Oh? How does doing laundry help you write a clear and well-founded essay? Well, doing laundry teaches responsibility, responsibility, planning, attention to detail, and follow through (Ever had a pile of moldy clothes because you forgot to transfer them to the dryer?). Aren’t all those skills you need to write essays? Of course! And in all kinds of school-related tasks, like doing homework on time, returning homework, dividing homework into multiple steps, etc. Children who have learned to assume tasks as their own are the same children who learn independently. They are also excellent team members for group work. They know that many hands make the job easier and they are ready to do their part. They don’t expect someone else, much less mom or dad, to do their job for them.
And that’s not all !!
So here you have four arguments for household chores to increase your children’s happiness and one argument for household chores to increase their success in school (not to mention later in life). And here’s one more point: doing household chores for kids helps teach kids early on about work-life balance. Life isn’t just about doing school work, diligently practicing the piano, and going to soccer practice. It’s also about creating a healthy space in which to live and cook nutritious meals that bring the family together. Those have long been considered the pillars of a happy home. Oh, and did I mention that kids who participate in cooking have more varied and nutritious diets? And that children who share washing and cleaning take better care of their clothes and toys? Really, the more I think about it, the longer the list gets.
