Kids-N-Chores

While I'd like to maintain the "superwoman" illusion, the truth is that I don't do it all. My children contribute to the smooth operation of our household. All of them, even the littlest, have chores which they do on a daily basis.

Raising eight kids is not a "one man" job. But raising one child ought not to be either. I certainly could run the household without their help, but this would not be good for me or them!

Children need to learn how to work while they are young. They need to see a direct link between their labor and the provisions which they receive. Parents who hand everything to their children without expecting anything in return are doing their children a great disservice. They are giving them a false impression of the way things work and setting them up for failure. These children will grow up without learning the skills necessary to survive on their own. They will always be expecting more, never satisfied with what they get. Their parents, who work themselves to the bone just to provide for these ungrateful creatures, may come to resent them. Chores are more than just a way that a child can help their parents, they are vital to the child's preparation for the future.

"In the education of [children] today we've lost the importance of work as the most effective tutor. What is the good of knowing how to read or write if a young [person] doesn't have the heart to work, to produce, and to create? [Children] are often forced to sit for hours, year after year, in front of books. Modern child-labor laws hinder and even prevent them learning to enjoy strenuous work. Then, after twelve to sixteen years of inactivity, folks wonder why all their teenager wants to do is sit on the couch playing games."
~Bob Schultz, Created For Work

I sometimes get the impression that parents are waiting for their children to walk up to them and offer to help out. But in reality, kids aren't really very excited about the prosect of having to work. That's why it is important that they learn early on that doing chores is something that is expected of them, whether they like it or not.

Even a very young child can be given simple tasks to help around the house. A toddler can be shown how to throw their own diapers in the garbage or take their dirty laundry to the laundry hamper. They can help mother put the silverware in the drawer, or take the dry clothes out of the dryer. At first, this may require more work than simply doing it yourself, but by training your children to do these simple chores, and by training them to do them properly, you will save yourself much time in the end. More importantly, you will be equiping your children to live sucessfully in the real world.

* Above is our current chore chart, color coded according to child.

If you want your children to learn how to work, the best way is to show them. Working alongside your children allows you to show them how a job ought to be properly completed. It is a great opportunity for bonding and can actually be a lot of fun for everyone involved. Don't despair that you didn't start soon enough. It is never too late for a child to learn how to work.

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
~Colossians 3:23-24