ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — With so many academic and extracurricular demands on kids today, many parents are passing on assigning chores at home. In a survey of one-thousand adults, 82 percent said they had to do regular chores growing up, but only 28 percent said they require their own children to do chores. Yet, there’s lots of research that shows chores can be good for kids.
Sweeping … mowing … mopping … and wiping. What kind of chores did you have as a kid?
While kids definitely hate a long chore list, research shows it’s good for them! A study by the university of Minnesota found children who began chores when they were three and four grew up to be more successful academically, socially, and in their early careers. Another survey found 87 percent of parents who required chores said their kids were doing well in school versus 61 percent who didn’t require chores. Some ways to help your kids succeed: be specific about what they need to do. Don’t just say: “dust the furniture.” Show them how it’s done first. Also use a chore chart to keep track of what needs to be done and put it in a central location. And assign chores that benefit the whole family. Try to make it a family affair. Set aside time for everyone in the house to do chores. And if your kids complain, just tell them it’s for their own good!
Experts are divided about whether it’s a good idea to pay children for household chores. Many say giving them money for work trains them for the real world. Others argue that kids will expect to be paid for every little task. One way to solve the problem: have a minimum list of chores that must be completed and if kids go above and beyond by doing more, they can get paid for those.
Contributors to this news report include: Julie Marks, Producer; Roque Correa, Videographer and Editor.
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