Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Chores or No Chores?

I was watching the news this morning and the subject was about chores for children.  The study states that over the past few decades, the trend to let your children be involved in "everything" and your running to do it "all" has been the demise to household chores.  Limits in time, stress and just not having the patience to teach your kids...has created a generation of poor workers.  This is even reflected in simple problem solving.  I know many millennial that do NOT know how to accomplish the simplest tasks.  



We all want our children to succeed in life.  Spending and investing in things that we feel will help them achieve their dreams and goals.  However, the study shows that the one proven predictor to success is doing household chores.  

The study shows that those children who were given chores, starting out as young as 3, benefits them academically, emotionally and eventually professionally.  

You are not hurting your children by making them pick up their own toys, make their own bed and take out the garbage.  Rather, you are helping them become independent, selfsufficient adults.

If a child spills a glass of milk - don't yell at them - hand them a towel and tell them to wipe it up.  Even 3 year olds can do this.  I can guarantee you that the next time they will be more careful with their glass.  Don't do it for them either - when they are working their first job and a customer breaks a container of something in aisle 1 - you are not going to be there to clean it up.  Recently I was shopping and something similar happened...the boy stood their looking at the customer...duh...what do I do...?...?  I had all I could do to not yell, "go get a mop!"  Simple tasks...

Our daughters are millennials.  We expected them to do their household and barn chores at home.  We did not pay them an allowance, as this is part of being in a family and owning animals.  They also were not in need of any basic necessity - we provided that for them.  When each of my girls were in 6th grade, they were hired by the same farm to work their cattle and do their chores.  This was a job, they were paid for that.  They earned that money and paid for the things I didn't feel were necessary, but they wanted.  I did NOT have to replace any fancy phones or electronics - because they paid for it and took care of it.  

They each quickly learned in college and working part time jobs - how other millennials lacked a good work ethic.  Recently, they each have told me how thankful they are that we "made" them work.  Taught them how to work.  

Success isn't always reflected by material things...it is a feeling of accomplishment in a job well done, not giving up and an understanding that I can do it for myself.  

I feel strongly about this and this "old mama hen" could "cluck" about this all day....  Young mamas heed to my advice - any strong structure has deep roots and a solid foundation.  Teach your children to be strong, by giving them household chores, starting at a young age.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.


5 comments:

  1. learning responsibility, providing structure - never a bad thing as long as there's time for laughter and fun.

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  2. Great post, Jacky! I agree 100%! I just didn't realize our children were referred to as millennials. Makes sense though. Ya'll listen to this Momma Hen! Have a great day! Blessings from Bama!

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  3. We were raised to clean up after yourself and be respectful towards your parents and elders and help around the house , of course I was raised on a farm so things are and were different we all had to pitch in it was just what was done . I raised my kids the same way , never bubbled them like the kids are today , we and they got dirty and had fun outdoors from sun up till sun down to and learnt to use our imaginations and what we had which back then wasn't any where near as much as the kids have today ! Good post . Thanks for sharing , Have a good day !

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  4. You hit the nail on the head with that one! We never left the house until our chores were done!

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