22 Jun why I make my kids do chores

Our Digital Editor reminds us (and herself) why it’s worth making your kids do chores. 

Do your children do chores?

I have a four- and six-year-old and to be honest, sometimes I think that it’s just not worth bothering.

The drama, the whinging, the constant visits to the ‘listening chair’ when they just won’t do what I ask.

But then I have to remind myself why kids should do chores. It’s not so their room actually gets cleaned. If a clean room is the only desired outcome then it would make a lot more sense to just do it myself.

But it’s not. The desired outcome is to raise children who look after their world. The first environments that kids learn to care for is their room and home. As they get older, they have classrooms and communities. And then workplaces, societies, countries, ideals and the world as a whole.

So I remind myself of this and push on.

On the days where I just don’t have the energy to battle, I at least make sure that they see me doing chores. Even though cleaning with two kids under foot is a bit of a two-steps-forward-one-step-back sort of situation – it’s how we roll.

They need to know that these things don’t happen magically.

Right?