Chores Bring the Family together
I’ve been thinking lately about what brings our family together. What is it that makes us a thriving, functional family unit? Though there are many facets to consider, I’ve decided that there are a few things that top the list. Being loved, having basic needs met, playing and spending time together, and chores. I know, I know, chores may seem trivial to the growth and development of a family, but I maintain that it is essential to each individual family member. Why are chores so important?
1. They teach responsibility.
2. They teach skills.
3. They allow family members to be needed.
We start when our children are quite small, allowing them to help with chores. Most often, they start out helping someone else with a job and then as they are older, they are given their own for which to be responsible. Right now, each child in our home has a daily chore such as unloading the dishwasher, putting clothes away, feeding pets, taking out garbage, bringing dirty laundry downstairs, putting away stray shoes. These are in addition to taking care of their own personal responsibilities such as making beds, getting dressed, etc..
Household chores benefit the family as a whole. Most of these chores are done in the morning before school. (I personally think this timing also allows them to learn to use their time well since they have a deadline, such as the bus coming, to get things done) In the past we’ve had chore charts, but right now, we just have assigned each person a specific job that they’ll do daily until the mood strikes me to have them change jobs. (It’s my prerogative… I’m the Mom. lol) Chore charts seem to work best with younger children. Stickers, smiley faces, check marks, are good incentives for the preteen set. My older children prefer to be assigned a chore and be left to do it.
Through chores, my children are learning to work without reminders and to take pride in their work. They are learning skills that will be necessary later in life… who takes out the garbage once you move away from home? Most importantly to me, (and hopefully to them) is that they are learning they are important in helping our home run smoothly. They are needed as part of our family unit. Who doesn’t love to feel needed?
We have a large family. Having the older kids do chores REALLY helps! I could, however, do the chores for the younger ones in half the time and do a much better job. But that’s not the point, is it. LOL “I” already know about responsibility, “I”, as a MOM, am automatically needed.
Household chores are sort of “membership dues”, if you will. I propose that every child in a family will benefit from the privilege of doing daily chores. On the main page of Frugal Families, under “printables” there are some really cute reward coupons you could use when your children complete their chores for a reasonable length of time. The biggest reward however, is the feeling of belonging.
JOY