HELP FOR THE FAMILY/PARENTING -The Importance of Chores

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Start young.  Some say that parents should assign chores when children are three years of age. Others recommend two years of age or even younger.  The point is, very young children love to work alongside their parents and imitate them- Bible principle: Proverbs 22:6.

Assign age-appropriate chores.   For example, a three-year-old might pick up toys, clean up spills, or sort laundry. Older children can vacuum, wash the car, and even prepare a meal. Work with your child's ability.  You might be surprised at how enthusiastic he or she becomes about handling chores.

Place a priority on chores.   That might be difficult when your child faces a daily mountain of homework. However, eliminating chores for the sake of high grades "is a sign of misplaced priorities," says the book The Price of Privilege. As stated earlier handling chores helps children become better students.  And the lessons learned prepare them for the time when they have a family of their own.  -Bible principles:  Philippians 1:10. 

Focus on the objective rather than the result.   It may take your child longer to complete a task than you would wish. You may also notice that the quality of the work could be better. When that happens, resist the urge to take over the task. Your objective is not to have the chore performed with adult-like precision but to help your child learn responsibility and discover the joy that work can bring. -Bible principle: Ecclesiastes 3:22. 

Focus on the right reward.   Some say that paying a child to do chores teaches them responsibility. Others say that it makes children focus on what they can get from the family rather than on what they can contribute to it.  They also warn that a child might refuse to do chores when he has enough money-a sign that the benefit of chores is being lost.  The lesson? It might be better to keep  a child's chores and his allowance on separate tracks.

"Chores create a feeling of contribution to the family. When our family finishes a day that involved doing chores-perhaps in the yard or in the house-there is a feeling of camaraderie. Everyone had a share, and its' a good feeling." -Steven

 "Giving our girls chores from an early age has helped them to be able to handle  real life as they've grown.  We try to convey the message that the family is a team and that we work together.  When we, the parents, display a positive outlook about chores, it helps our daughters to do the same." -Stephanie.

Next time; The Enteric Nervous System-Your Body's "Second Brain"? 

From the jw.org publications