What Children Learn by Doing Chores

My children have chores that they must do each day, as well as our special cleaning brigade on Saturdays. Daily tasks include washing and putting away the dishes, laundry, making the beds, and picking up their bedroom. Saturday chores can include anything that needs to be done, from cleaning the bathroom to scrubbing the woodwork.

I know there are a lot of differing opinions on this subject. My own mother, who when I was a child believed in chores, now feels that her grandchildren should not have to slave doing "my" work! She also informed me that they should get paid for doing this via an allowance...another reversal from my childhood. Isn't it funny how things are viewed differently from motherhood to grandmotherhood? This opinion is basically what I told her during our last conversation on this subject.

First of all, I think a child needs to learn how to do basic cleaning tasks and the only way to learn how is to do it. The chores I have my children do are things they will have to know and do in order to be self-sufficient as adults. I know how to do these things because my mother showed me and that's how my children will learn the things they have to do, as well. And no, I don't give my daughters just "girl" jobs and my son just "boy" jobs. They share the tasks as equally as possible considering the age differences.

Another reason my children have household tasks to complete is to teach them responsibility. Everyone in a family has a certain amount of responsibility to the household. We all need to contribute to the maintenance of our surroundings. Chances are they won't have maids when they grow up, so they need to be taught this responsibility now.

When it comes to the topic of payment, I look at it this way: I don't get paid to do the dishes or laundry and why is that? Because it is my dirty laundry, my dirty dishes, my unmade bed...you get the idea. I will give my kids money for doing special things, such as going to the store. Then they are getting paid for doing a job, just like I do when I go to work.

As is obvious by the above, I feel that children need chores and will learn a lot of things by doing them. I want my kids to grow up to be responsible, hard-working adults and this is one of the ways in which I try to instill those values.