Assigning Chores to Your Child

[Photo: Gustavo Fring/Pexels]

As parents, it is our responsibility to teach our children how to grow up to be responsible. The ultimate goal of parenthood is to raise children to care for themselves, be considerate of others, and be responsible for their own actions. 

One way to teach responsibility is to assign chores, or household duties. Chores allow children to learn responsibility, cooperation, obedience, respect for possessions, a good work ethic and self-reliance. You can start teaching children while they are young to help by picking up toys, fold and put away clothes, and with other tasks around the house. Children enjoy imitating Mom and Dad. 

You can vary responsibilities as they grow older. It is helpful to create a schedule to make clear what they are supposed to do each week, and to show that everyone has different responsibilities. 

[Photo: Gustavo Fring/Prexel]

Praise your child when chores are completed. When children know that you appreciate their effort, they will be motivated to do it better and quicker. You may choose to implement a rewards system for completing chores. This can be in the form of a weekly allowance, or using privileges such as access to electronics, staying up an extra 30 minutes after bedtime, or earning a family movie night.

Assigning chores encourages your child to be involved in family duties, teaches responsibility, and reinforces the value and importance of each child within the family.