Should children help with household tasks or they should only study?
By sweetlady10
@sweetlady10 (3611)
United States
January 31, 2007 10:03am CST
Although people say children should not have to work with household tasks, children will not learn to be independent unless they work to help parents in household tasks.
By working with family members children will learn lots of things which will help them lateron to become independent. When they will come out of school and will live on their own, at that time this household work experience will help them a lot.
They can have some knowledgeable experience in this working process. Like, if children help their parents or grandparents with gardening; they will learn a lot about plants (eg. How to take care of plants, the process of getting fruit or vegetables).
Children can develop some good habits. During this helping time they can learn discipline, how to keep things neat and clean etc. Moreover they will realize the value of all kinds of work.
I would like to say, though it is a good thing to help parents with household works; study should be first priority for them.
What do you think about this?
36 people like this
187 responses
@sunshinecup (7871)
•
31 Jan 07
In my house study is number one. They get on hour after coming home to relax, but then it’s time for home work. That is one hour. Then dinner, it is time for their chores which maybe takes them 30 minutes at most. Then the rest of the night is theirs. I think having a balance of responsibilities, of studies and chores, is great for kids to develop good habits as well as build self-esteem. In school they are rewarded with good grades at home an allowance. Therefore, they learn young how to work towards goals and the rewards for doing so.
3 people like this
@sweetlady10 (3611)
• United States
31 Jan 07
Yes study should be always no one. But you can always allow them to do some houshold tasks like they do other activities.
4 people like this
@rab1978 (21)
• Philippines
1 Feb 07
yeah you can assigned them washing the dishes after taking the dinner. or fold the laundry. Just those little routinary work in the house. but you dont have to force them on those things. it nice to look at that they love what they are doing... "LOVE OF WORK".
@Oeillade (87)
•
31 Jan 07
Studying is important but so is learning how to do household chores and helping other people. When we bought our new house, the builder told me that a young couple were looking at it and trying to decide if they could fit two freezers in. They didn't know how to cook and needed to store lots of frozen meals that they could just heat up in the microwave! What a shame that their parents hadn't taught them to cook. They are missing out on so much, all those wonderful meals they could prepare in the brand new kitchen. Children need to learn how to look after themselves properly. It teaches them responsibility and they won't end up being ill because they haven't cleaned or cooked something properly.
@sweetlady10 (3611)
• United States
31 Jan 07
Ohh this is way much. They are thinking to live on frozen food for whole life or what. Their parent will regret for this I guess. But now at least they can learn themself.
2 people like this
@kpbhuvana (392)
• India
1 Feb 07
I too agree with you, My husband used to cook well before marriage and he taught me a lot of dishes . He had been living alone away from family for a long time and had learnt cooking.
@nancygibson (3736)
• France
31 Jan 07
I think it is vitally important for children to understand what is involved in running a household. Of course they need time to chill out and be kids, but that doesnt mean they can't clean their rooms, set the table, take the bin out and rake up leaves and all the other little tasks that are suitable chores for kids.
@sweetlady10 (3611)
• United States
1 Feb 07
To make them understand how the whole process of houshold running is very important.
1 person likes this
@mnrmkr (75)
• India
1 Feb 07
I feel children should knew how to take care of their things ,these comes only when they are helping their parents then only they may be able to do work . I always feel children should be given some responsiblity along with their studies. Then in fututre part of life they will become resposible citizens of the country.
@raijin (10345)
• Philippines
31 Jan 07
Of course, studying should be the priorities of children. But helping with household chores would mean a lot while a child is growing. Parents should be the ones more responsible in guiding their kids, help them to deal with things that kids would someday face when they grow old. It is a part of their life, and would make them more independent while they mature.
@villageanne (8553)
• United States
31 Jan 07
Absolutely, they should have to do chores around the house. I cant believe anyone would say no to this. Chores is how we teach them responsibility. leadership, and how to work alone and with others. If we dont theach our children this, who will? It is our responsibility to teach them. Daily chores is the best way to teach these important lessons that they will need to survive in society
@sweetlady10 (3611)
• United States
31 Jan 07
Some people say no to this. I know some people who does not allow their kids into houshold thing. They just want to study their kid hard and hard. But I guess this is not the right thing to do.
@techsam (158)
• India
31 Jan 07
Its a must......
can u imagine the kids stepping out there and not knowing a thing about household chores..... they must... the basic things.... u may not always be able to get yourself frozen foods, or may want to try out some new dish that you read about in the mag... u can do that if you know to cook....
if teh washer breaks down, you won't have much hassles washing your clothes... you know that... same for cleaning your room.... you name it and it ahs its advantages... and they actually come to teh fore when the kis has to step out and live on his/her own in a dsitant city far away from family....
i can vouch for it, coz thats what my situation is like!!
2 people like this
@4monsters4me (2569)
• United States
1 Feb 07
I met kids at college like that. Many of them had no clue how to do laundry or cook for themselves. They never had to clean up after themselves and were totally lost without Mommy around. I had many guys ask me for help with their laundry because their parents never taught them.
1 person likes this
@brandy1017 (25)
• United States
1 Feb 07
I also met many people in college (and i'm still meeting them) who have no idea how to do laundry, how to clean (don't mix bleach and ammonia), how to use vaccuum attachments...etc. I think there is a limit on the chores a child should do in the house. It is good to teach you child the meaning of responsibility and cleanliness and teamwork. I do not believe the mother of hte house should do all of the work. I believe the entire family(dad included) should help out. But at the same time a kid should have the chance to be a kid. With responsiblities come rewards and if you teach your child to do something so simple as making their bed or washing their own dishes they should get proper recognition. I think some parents take for granted that their children are helping them out sometimes because they are so used to it. But children never have a problem with hearing about their good work.
2 people like this
@alienstar (5142)
• India
18 Feb 07
I don't believein children of young age making household works and maybe if children are matured enough , then i don't see any reasons for tehm to help their parents in household works as in that age they can manage study as well as work and parents need not guide them much.
@beautyoperater (1890)
• United States
31 Jan 07
They rules in my house go like this. After school they do homework first. Then they have to clean their rooms. I made up a chart for each week and gave them different tasks to do.
We gave them an allowance if they did all their chores.
That's the way it was for me as a kid so I thought it wouldn't hurt my girls either. Needless to say I didn't have to pay out to much because alot of times they wouldn't do them.
@Alexandria37 (5717)
• Ireland
31 Jan 07
My children always liked to help with the cooking and cleaning. They liked it so much, that I used to promise them, that they could help when they completed their school work. When they were old enough, I often allowed them to take care of the house for a day, during their school holidays. They would do all the cleaning (not the best), and then they would cook an easy meal. I always sat in a corner of the kitchen with one eye on the tv and the other on them to make sure they didn't scald or burn themselves.
1 person likes this
@BittyBiddy (2903)
• Ireland
1 Feb 07
You were blessed to have such wonderful children Alexandria. And they were so lucky to have a lovely mother like you. You always paint such lovely pictures of family life when you speak about your children and grandchildren. :)
@sunilkonda (1215)
• India
9 Feb 07
ya your right sweetlady..children should study as well as participate in household activities..unless children participate in house hold activites ,After they grow they dont know how to do even the simplest of the simplest tasks like gardening,cleaning etc..so i feel child should not be only dedicated to study till he grows up,i personally feel that a child who does both will be active because all the time study study study makes a child dull and he wil get irritation over his studies for not being engaged in any other works....so i feel both should hand in hand...
@maryannemax (12156)
• Sweden
1 Feb 07
yes. it's right. studies should always be at top of the priorities. but having chores on the side makes children learn more about responsibility.
@jen0526 (82)
• United States
31 Jan 07
I think that its important that they help around the house, it teaches them good skills for adulthood. My daughter also takes care of her dog, she helps to feed him and other things that need to be done to take care of him. It teaches her to care for other living things besides herself, which is also good for when she is an adult.
@blushnpixie (216)
• Philippines
15 Feb 07
I think children should help with the house chores. Time should be managed wisely. It may get too tiring if you spend all your free time on studying. Doing some chores may not be relaxing, but at least the mind is taken off the school stuffs and gets a breather even for an hour or two. So when they go back to doing their homeworks or just reviewing, the mind has been rested a good deal. A good way of encouraging kids to do household chores during their breaks from studying is to make it fun. Make it look like a game and eventually they'll get used to it. Another reason for encouraging them to do household chores is to prepare them when they are all grown up and they would have to manage their own households. At least then they know how to do it.
@johnnyz_xr6t (753)
• Australia
3 Feb 07
they should do both. i was brought up to do both. doing things around the house also teaches kids
@KrazyKlingon (5005)
• United States
3 Feb 07
There will come a time when children will have to start helping out with the household tasks because there will come that time when they will be out on their own & having to do these household tasks themselves. Determining the age in which they should start learning is the hard part.
I'm remembering back to when I washed dishes for the first time, I only washed the part tops of the plates that held the food, but the bottoms were still greasy as heck. They ended up having to be done over. So it's best that they try for a first time & then make their mistakes where parents can teach them the correct way, & then when they start living on their own, they can do for themselves instead of fouling up.
@missyd79 (3438)
• United States
9 Feb 07
I otally agree with this. My son has a chore chart and he is only 5. I have 5 chores for him to do every day (MAKE HIS BED, PUT THE SILVERWARE FROM THE DISHWASHER, HELP CLEAR THE DINNER TABLE, PICK UP HIS TOYS, AND PUT HIS DIRTY LAUNDRY AWAY) Every time he does his chore he gets a smile face on the chart and a marble. the marble then goes into a can, and then when he wants something like a new toy or movie he has to give me his marbles for it (each marble is worth 25 cents. I think this is teaching him that he has to work to get the things he wants and is also teaching him responsiblity.
@yamiboo (466)
• Philippines
1 Feb 07
I believe that children should help with the lighter household tasks as it's like an early training for them already when they reach adulthood. I, myself had to do household tasks when I was younger, and now that I'm married, I somewhat know what to do already, since I've been "trained" when I was younger. I know of people who weren't assigned to do household tasks when they were younger, they don't even know how to wash dishes until now. Letting the kids do simple household tasks will help them grow up to be responsible and independent adults.
Studying though is the first priority. It doesn't take the whole night to study anyway. And the household work we can assign to them won't take too much of their time, as we'll only be assigning them simple tasks like picking up their toys, helping with the laundry (pass me that, pass me this).
@Indiffer (287)
• Norway
1 Feb 07
I agree. Studying first then household chores. I would let them focus on studies in the week, then weekends like friday and/or saturday do their job in the house, and get paid for it. I was raised that way.
With studies they learn what they need to get a decent education and a job. Working in the house teaches them how to keep the job in a way, the responsibility most of all.
@mimatexas (1818)
• United States
3 Feb 07
I think children need to have responsibilities at home besides studying. It's good because they became responsible and independent in the future.
