As parents we often look for effective ways to teach our children important life skills that will help them develop into productive young adults. And if we’re very lucky, our efforts also help them to develop an inherent value for things like hard work, effort, and the pride that comes with accomplishment. But striking this all-important balance is often easier said than done.
School-aged children already have hours of homework each week, not including special projects, test prep and extracurricular demands. It can be difficult to figure out how and when to squeeze in character builders such as chores and other responsibilities. And it can prove even more difficult at times to figure out the best way to get it done. You might have questions such as…
- What are the best ways to introduce responsibility to my children?
- Are chores beneficial to a child’s development, and if yes, then how so?
- And how young is too young to begin a chore regiment at home?
If you’re ready to implement a chore routine in your household but just need some pointers, check out these two great articles which answer these questions and more:
- This article from FamilyCorner.com provides some great tips and guidelines for introducing chores to your children, noting that it’s important to take into consideration the age and ability of each child, and to also be sure to make instruction specific and clear. The article also offers some great chore ideas for children ages 2 to 10 and older.
- This article from ParentFurther.com offers some helpful do’s and don’ts when introducing chores, such as whether or not to pay for completed chores, and/or punish for chores that go ignored.
