It is difficult to persuade children to voluntarily help with housework. Children usually prefer sitting on the couch to watch TV rather than helping with dishes or cleaning their rooms.
One of the reasons why children do not like housework in general is that they think that housework is boring and trivial just like adults do. Children in video games and cleaning will of course choose the former. The reason is that cleaning the room does not provide immediate satisfaction to the children as much as playing video games.
On the other hand, New Yorker's Elizabeth Kolbert, a six-year-old girl from the Matsigenka tribe in the Peruvian Amazon, who cleaned, cooked, and dressed, I mentioned the situation I am helping. On the other hand, records recorded in a Los Angeles study show that American children of the same age did not help household chores at all.
Of course, the lifestyle of the Martigankas and Americans is very different. That does not mean that it is not right to teach children to do housework, even if the lives of Americans are easy and convenient. Surveys show that children who are familiar with housework can help others outside their homes and become better citizens.
Let your child help you
Children easily bore something. But it does not mean that learning chores will be a hurdle for them. As a parent, you should teach your children to recognize that housework is fun and entertaining rather than a boring routine. Driving author Dan Pink said, "Housework is a good way to tell children that they are built when families keep their mutual obligation and need to help each other."
Rather than nagging constantly to help with the housework, it is important to encourage the children. Encouragement should make the children feel like they are doing good at home and make them think that they are part of the family. "Everyone really wants to feel that they are important, needy, and connected to others," he said. "Nags can not motivate children, and constantly nagging, I can do it. "
Here are ways that your child can help you with your chores.
Parents must demonstrate creativity. For example, changing "kitchen time" to "dance" or "laundry time" can be a role-playing activity for the family.
Designing a challenge can also be a method. For example, if your child takes care of your household chores alone, give them a sticker. However, these compensation schemes do not work over a long period of time, so rather than simply asking them to clean their rooms, it is an effective way to give them a more challenging task and stimulate achievement, such as urging them to clean the room quickly within a fixed time.
You have to switch jobs. It is good to let the children alternate chores such as meal planning and cooking, and not to have the same dishes the same month. This is a way to get interested in planning together and to increase the bond between family members. Also, it is good to let the brothers clean each other's room.
It is good to express thank you to a child who does housework. After completing the housework, I told my child "Thanks for your help. Our family is a great team! "Let's not forget to praise it. Sometimes it is good to make a light physical reward. The important thing is that the children feel that they themselves are a thankful presence in the family.
Long-term advantage
Educating children to do housework can also be a long-term benefit for children. Basic living skills such as cooking, cleaning, and laundry can help your life and help your children plan and manage their own lives.
In addition, you can feel the responsibility of carrying out the housework and yourself. It is because children can find out how difficult it is to keep and manage family life while doing housework. They also have a respect for their parents.
Children tend to be proud of their accomplishments. Likewise, helping household chores can give children a sense of pride. Especially, it is possible to develop teamwork and self-reliance through hard work of housework.
Performing housework is not an easy task. However, they should also teach their children to help with housework. It takes time and effort to get the children to do the housework themselves. However, these efforts are valuable and will eventually become important assets for children to live.
