Dad, Give Them Household Chores!

You have a chore to do around the house and your
kids want to help out somehow. You know that it might
be nice for them to help but you're feeling a bit impatient.

And you know that it might turn into a two hour project and
there might be a big mess to clean up. A mess that could
be avoided if you did it yourself.

We've all been there, haven't we?

It can be so much easier to do the household chores and
projects without the assistance from your little friends. After
all, who's got the time in today's world to make a project longer
than it needs to be?

You do.

Why is it important to include your kids in household tasks?

Once in a while there is some research that unveils something
that's so important and relevant that it screams for parents to
hear it.

Researcher Marty Rossman at the University of Minnesota studied
a group of young adults from the time they were young children.
The startling results of the study were that the young adults who
had participated in household chores when they were age 3 and 4
were more successful as adults than those who didn't.

Specifically, these young adults were more likely to complete their
education, get a good start on a career, develop adult relationships,
and avoid the use of drugs. The early participation in household
chores was deemed more important in their success than any other
factor, including IQ.

On the other hand, if children did not begin participating in household
chores until they were teenagers, the experience seemed to backfire
and had a negative effect on their success as young adults, using those
same measures.

What does this really mean?

When your young kids feel as though their dad (or mom) believes they're
capable of handling simple chores around the house, it is an incredibly
powerful message to them.

Dad believes I can do it!

If your kids believe that's how you feel about them as they go through life,
you're a genius. You'll also be the father of confident, responsible, happy kids.
That's what is created when you choose to see your kids as capable and
you believe in them.

But it's not as easy as just seeing them as capable. You also have to show
patience with them when they tackle these chores. You can't take over for
them when they struggle or "correct" what they did.

This will only serve to undermine their confidence and discourage them.

Imagine the difference you can make with your kids by allowing their
participation in the family chores. Imagine the difference in your kids
esteem level that results from encouraging them rather than criticizing them.

You do have time to include your kids in chores and projects at home. Tell
every other father and mother you know that they have time, too.

It's too important not to.