Should children have chores?

Childhood is not all fun and games. In fact, it's preparation for what their adult life will be like. If a child is allowed to have what they want, when they want and with no effort on their part (except for perhaps a tantrum) why would they ever think life would be different?

Now, before I get bashed children should certainly be allowed to explore and have fun. You child's purpose is not free labor around your home, but age appropriate chores are really a must if you want your child to be a well-balanced, independent and successful adult. At the age of 6, I would recommend the following chores on a daily basis: 1.) Make bed first thing in the morning (apart from using the bathroom if need).

2. ) Put away her PJs properly and put on her school clothes or play clothes if it is a weekend.3.) Make sure her pets (if she has any) has water and food. 4.

) After school and a snack your daughter should be doing her homework.By implementing this designated time for homework and homework alone along with it having first priority she will soon learn that it is of the up most importance. 5. ) After homework is done, have your child's laundry in a basket for her.

She should be able to put it away. Go a step further if you wish by showing her how to properly fold or hang her clothing.6. ) Allow her to help you set the table and clear the table.

She can also help with dishes.7. ) Before going to bed, her room should be clean. Break this chore up into smaller increments.

For example, tell her to pick up all of her toys and put them into her toy chest. If sheets need to be changed, instruct her to do this along with where to put the dirty sheets. If the trash needs to be taken out, tell her to take the trash to a specific area and to place a new bag into her trash can.

The reason for this is at your daughter's age simply saying, "clean your room" is overwhelming. She needs to have the tasks broken down so she doesn't feel frustrated. Granted, you have to chose chores that fit your specific lifestyle and your child's ability.

The above is a suggestion only. Make sure that there is a reward system in place to encourage your daughter along with tons of praise! Don't criticize...praise!

Be reasonable in your expectations. Remember that you will; of course, be able to perform a task more efficiently than your daughter. Don't expect perfection.

Keep in mind that more importantly than a job getting done you are instilling a sense of pride and responsibility in your daughter. This is one of the most important gifts you'll ever give your child! And as with most jobs, your little helper will need training.

Make time to make sure she knows how to do things properly, but within her ability. Conditioning is a term used by psychologists. Basically, it means if your child does well you use positive reinforcement such as a sticker or other prize.

If your child does not do her chores as expected, you use negative reinforcement. An option for negative reinforcement may be a natural cause and effect lesson. For example, if your daughter does not bring her dirty laundry down yet wants to wear a specific shirt she'll find that because she did not do as she was expected she doesn't have the shirt she wanted.

Other times this natural learning won't be available. This is when it would be acceptable to take away a privilege. However, remember sometimes there are valid reasons that things don't get accomplished.

Make sure your punishment always fits the crime. And sometimes, instead of punishing a child you could even offer to help her get her chores done. By doing this you are still making her live up to her responsibility, but also letting her know that we all need help from time to time.

I think she is old enough to help out around the house. My daughter who is 4 is responsible for cleaning up her toys, feeding the dog and setting the table. She loves to do the last two jobs, not so much cleaning up toys.

I feel it's important for kids to have some chores to learn responsibility. My two year old sometimes feeds the dog (with help) and is also given little jobs to do, he usually wants to help out too.

Definitely. Chores are such an important lesson as we grow up. Most importantly it teaches us that there won't always be someone to clean up after us.It also teaches us to take care of our possessions and treat them nicely (otherwise they need to be cleaned over and over and over).

And don't forget about the whole "work ethic" thing. There's something to be said for kids learning that hard work won't kill them, and that it can actually almost feel nice. And there are some good skills to learn early for later in life.

Vacuuming, dusting, dishes, laundry, and outdoor maintenance are all good things to learn about for later in life. It'll make us better more capable adults. If kids are given everything easily and have someone to always clean up after them, then they never build any character.

Now, if you want to give them an allowance, that's a nice thing to do.

Yeah they should have chores around the home, because they live there too. Money is always a good incentive, but does not always work with teenagers who can go out into the world and earn extra money at Burger King which can be fun. I only have older boys left at home, but we take turns doing laundry, cooking and general cleaning.

However they split the lawn and outside stuff because they enjoy it.

Children should be trained at an early age to have responsibilities at home. One way of making them responsible is to give them assigned tasks at home like setting up the dining table or cleaning up the table after meals. My sons when they were just six years old, they already know how to wipe dust off from our furnitures and windows.

They can help rake leaves in our yard.

When my children were that age, I initiated the job jar. I only put in there jobs that were age appropriate. When my daughter was 6, she used the floor sweeper, put up clothes, put up silverware, wiped down the cabinets, helped pick up the yard, etc.The job jar was fun for her because she never knew what she would be asked to do.

But she was required to do at least 3 and more if she wanted to. In the jar I would put other things in there besides just chores. Sometimes she would pick a chore and it would say "Go give mommie and daddy sugars" or "Surprise!

You have earned a dollar" or "spend 15 minutes reading your favorite book". She never complained about her chores because sometimes there was a reward or a treat or a dollar or something special involved. Sometimes she pick 4 or more.

I miss those times.

Although my children grumbled that they had to do chores from an early age and even go to work before they could drive (to pay their gas and part of the insurance on the vehicle, to give them a sense of responsibility), I see the same "work ethic" happening with my grandchildren! So it must have been a good idea! It "tickles" me to have seen my grand-daughter climb up on a chair so that she could reach the counter in the kitchen to help prepare a meal.

Now she is developing into a good little cook! My grandson is older now and has to mow the lawn, even though his Dad used to wonder why he had to do the same thing! There are many little chores that a young child can do that will help out the parents in small ways and also make the child feel good about what he or she can accomplish.

I do prefer giving a small regular allowance so that the child learns that money has to be earned and saved in order to get requested items and that they won't just be handed what they want (unless it is their birthday or Christmas with perhaps just one major gift). I remember when my daughter (two years older than my son) was going to go off to college. She collared my son and said that she was going to teach him to do laundry and some of the jobs that she had been handling, not because she necessarily wanted him to do them at home but because she didn't want him to go off to college himself without knowing how to do some basic chores that he hadn't been doing.

I remember, too, the day he called me from college and said, "Mom, would you believe that some of my roommates don't even know how to open a can let alone do laundry? Isn't that ridiculous?

I am a firm believer in engaging children in household chores for a number of reasons. First, it is not only the parents living in the home but also the children, who contribute to any tasks accruing within the home. Children wear and dirty clothes, use dishes, drop food pieces on the floor, create waste, and have their own rooms that can become quite messy.

Including children in household tasks teaches them not only responsibility over their own living space, but also shows them how important it is to work together as a family to maintain cleanliness and order. Further, when children are equally involved in household chores, they will see that if frees up parental time that can be used for other fun activities or time spent together (as opposed to time spent by the parent doing all household chores alone). Of course, when engaging children in chores, keep age appropriateness in mind.

A 6-year old can typically set and clear off the dinner table, sort laundry by color, fold clothing and socks, take out recyclables (cans, cardboard boxes, etc. ), or sweep the floor (she/he may also be able to handle vacuuming the carpet). Most children are responsible for maintaining their own bedrooms (cleaning up toys, making the bed, putting clothes away in dresser). Older children can take over putting away dishes (in and out of the dishwasher), dusting furniture, washing and drying some laundry, helping clean the car, and possibly even mow the lawn.

Obviously you don’t want your younger child handling heavy equipment (lawn mowers, washing machines) or taking over major pet care (picking up pet feces or bathing a pet). In addition, children should participate in light daily chores, such as helping out during dinner time or cleaning up after themselves. More intensive, time-consuming chores, such as folding laundry or cleaning the home, should probably be put off until the weekend, so that children are not too overloaded on school days and still have the opportunity to be kids after they come home from a long day at school.

Be sure to recognize your children’s help by using the extra spare time to spend quality time together: Go the movies, swimming, hiking, or plan a family game night. Try to refrain from paying your children money for each chore accomplished, since this may take away their sense of personal accomplishment that typically accompanies the completion of set tasks. Children are proud of the things they can do and they do want to help their families succeed by playing an active part.

Let this be their main incentive. Generally, there’s nothing wrong with giving the child a set allowance, but the idea is to allow the child to be motivated to participate in household chores by something other than money.

I believe they should as it helps them see realistically that you earn what you get. It would be easy to just hand items over to children, but they do not learn the basic value of working and rewards. It instills in them the idea that you have to do something fro everything you receive.

I remember how hard it was to wait on allowance day, but I knew it was coming because I had earned it and I deserved it. It gave me a sense of pride and helped me form my personal work ethic.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.