The Connection Between Kids Doing Chores And Growing Up To Be Successful Adults
January 11, 2019
source: Parents Place / iStock
If you have children, chances are you have a heck of a time trying to get them to do chores. Chores aren’t fun, but they’re certainly important. And now, recent research has revealed that children who partake in chores from an early age are more likely to grow up to be successful adults.
According to author Julie Lythcott-Haims, children who grow up doing chores become better employees. They gain important skills that allow them to work both independently and in team settings. Plus, they have a greater likelihood of showing empathy towards others. “By making [kids] do chores — taking out the garbage, doing their own laundry — they realize I have to do the work of life in order to be part of life,” said Lythcott-Haims.
“If kids aren’t doing the dishes, it means someone else is doing that for them,” Lythcott-Haims continued. “And so they’re absolved of not only the work, but of learning that work has to be done and that each one of us must contribute for the betterment of the whole.” And those aren’t the only benefits of children doing chores, either.
According to the Center For Parenting Education, children who regularly partake in chores are better equipped to deal with feelings of frustration, delay gratification, have higher self-esteem, and are more responsible than children who don’t regularly do chores. Doctor Marty Rossmann adds that chores not only improve familial bonds, but they also allow children to “give back” to their parents, making them feel as though they’re important contributors in the family structure.
Do you want your kids to become more involved in household chores, but are unsure of where to start? Click here for a list of age-appropriate chores all the way from age two to age 18.