First golf lesson for Alex!

20 LESSONS CHORES TEACH

In addition to helping a child feel connected to their family unit and giving them an age appropriate responsibility in its operational success, chores teach children basic life skills. Chores teach kids:

Ownership. Chores teach children that it’s your job to be responsible for the things that you own. Parents may give children ownership of clothes, toys, place settings and even trash!

Responsibility. Chores teach children that you have an active role in determining how your things are cared for. Parents may give kids responsibility for their rooms, their play areas or their toys.

Time management. Chores teach children that you need to leave adequate time to accomplish tasks. Parents may require children to pick up their toys before practice or going to a friend’s house.

Natural consequences. Chores teach children that sometimes when you don’t do something, it just doesn’t get done. Natural consequences could include having no clean “cool clothes”, having a favorite pair of jeans dirty when wanted for wear, or having a toy broken from being accidentally stepped on or eaten by the dog.

Organization. Chores teach children that everything has a place. Toys go in the toy room and books go on the bookshelf, for example.

Structure. Chores teach children that certain things have to be done in certain ways. Dishes need to be scraped before they go into the sink or that making the bed is part of the daily routine.

Independence. Chores teach children that they can accomplish some tasks on their own. Assigning age-appropriate chores can foster independence.

The value of teamwork. Chores teach children that sometimes it takes the effort of all to accomplish a task. Everyone needs to pitch in to tidy the house or clear the table before going out or moving on to the next thing.

Value. Chores teach children that things and contributions have value. Assigning chores helps kids to see that that their contributions in keeping the home neat are part of a shared family success.

Self-reliance. Chores teach kids that sometimes they can count on themselves. As kids grow older their tasks grow larger and kids can learn to do many household things for themselves.

How to be self sufficient. Chores teach kids that they can care for their own basic needs. Allowing kids to be responsible for preparing snacks or cleaning their room teaches them that they can take care of themselves.

Confidence. Chores teach kids to have a “can do” attitude. When a child completes age appropriate tasks they grow confidence in their abilities and skill set.

The power of participation. Chores teach kids that the action of one can make a difference. When a child sees that what they did counts and can share in a joint success they’ll learn to become active participators.

About community. Chores teach kids the value of community. The family home is the first community that kids take part in. Teaching kids the importance of playing an active role in their family will set them up to play active roles in their schools, neighborhoods and world!

Prioritization. Chores teach kids that things in life have priorities. Assigning chores teaches kids that some things come before others and that we have to clean one thing up before we go onto the next.

Expectations. Chores teach children to meet expectations from those in authority. Asking that chores be completed properly and on time will help set a child up for success in his work life.

Respect. Chores teach children to treat things properly. Putting trash in the basket instead of on the ground, for example, shows respect for our environment.

Discipline. Chores teach kids that we sometimes have to force ourselves to do what’s right. While your child may want to run off and play it takes self-discipline to tidy up before moving on.

That hard work pays off. Chores teach kids that time, energy and effort yield lasting results. Being able to find what you’re looking for without digging through a mess is a great feeling!

How to complete basic household tasks. Chores teach children how to run a home. As kids get older they can learn to clean, cook and even sew!