Child Labor is Good? It's All About the Chores

CHORES ARE GOOD FOR KIDS, THE RIGHT KIND OF CHILD LABOR

Kids who do chores and feel involved in the overall well-being of their families are better off than those who don’t. Doing chores may seem like a drag when you’re the kid and you have to clean the dishes or feed the cat or clean the bathroom. But the act of doing chores is more important and influential than parents could possibly ever dream. Doing chores makes a kid feel like they are contributing to the well-being of the family overall. They are responsible and necessary to the family machine. Having your kids do chores isn’t child labor. It’s a good practice! Here are all the ways that doing chores benefits children:

1. They feel important

2. They feel necessary

3. They learn what being responsible feels like

4. They learn how to deal with stressful situations

5. They develop awareness of the needs of others

6. They learn to contribute to the family’s emotional well-being

7. They don’t feel adrift in the world because they feel needed

8. They feel more connected to their parents and siblings

9. They learn valuable life skills

Two Cinema-Goers Disguised as One to See Black Panther

10. They will thank you later when they have solid balanced lives

So I had to do chores as a kid. I had to take care of my cat and load the dishwasher after breakfast and dinner. And I also had to clean my bathroom and vacuum sometimes. It felt good to be responsible for important things around the house BUT I was definitely given an allowance. And allowances make it seem like someone will pay you to wipe the counters when you’re older, which doesn’t happen. It’s not realistic to pay kids to do things that are just things we have to do. So it makes more sense to just involve them in the household routine, which they should be a part of because they are part of the household. Seems clear to me, hopefully I will be able to hold to my convictions when I too have children.