It can be a tough call, deciding whether to give your child household chores.
Some parents might feel like they want their child to have as much fun as possible before the inevitable mundane responsibilities of adulthood take over.
While other parents might want to teach their child the importance of responsibility.
If you’re considering whether giving your child chores is the right decision, new research could help you with your ponderings.
Scientists say that giving your child regular chores does help them become more successful adults and even have happier lives.
We all want our children to be happy and after a long day at school with homework to pore over, we may feel like the meanest parents giving our precious ones additional work.
But latest research shows that it benefits them in the future and it’s not just one study supporting this but two.
‘I have to do the work of life’
Julie Lythcott-Haims, the author of How to Raise an Adult, and the former dean of freshman at Stanford University, says the earlier you start the better.
Julie told “Tech Insider”, “By making them 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. It’s not just about me and what I need in this moment.”
Taking part in household chores like folding laundry, taking out the trash and doing the dishes leads to greater levels of success as adults, according to the research.
Successful adults
Marty Rossman, who was the associate professor of family education at the University of Mississippi, presented data spanning 25 years to find out if the kids that did chores were more successful adults.
She found that those adults who had done chores as young children were more likely to have successful careers and have better relationships with friends and family.
This is, of course, is easier said than done and as parents we already spend most of our day trying to get them to do the essentials like get dressed and brush their teeth.
But in our struggle to add chores to the long list of activities we encourage our children to do every day, keep in mind that a 75-year Harvard Grant Study identified two things that people need in order to be happy and successful: love and work ethic.
I can’t help with the love part but encouraging your child to help around the house from an early age will instill a work ethic that will serve them very well later in life.
Watch Julie Lythcott-Haims talking about parenting and chores in the clip below.
[arve url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyElHdaqkjo&feature=youtu.be” /]
Please share this story with all the parents you know and help ensure more kids get involved at home.
