Should Children Do Chores?

Should children do chores? Or maybe more importantly should your children do chores?

That can be a tough one on many fronts, but getting past this initial question is the key to a successful chore program. The decision depends largely on how you, as a parent, feel about chores for kids and how they get done at your house. But these guidelines may help you put it in perspective.

Should children do chores - aren't those only done on farms?
Everyone has their own frame of reference for what chores are. To some people, chores are the same as milking cows and feeding the chickens. Chores are part of a workday for people who work with their hands like farmers - not things done by modern-day kids.

Call them what you like - chores are really just those jobs that need to be done around the house, and someone has to do them. It's those things that keep the household running smoothly, and the dirt from piling up.

They can be as simple as setting the table or making a bed. Of course, there are other chores that can take longer - vacumming the house or mowing the yard, for example.

Consider these positive aspects of assigning household tasks to your kids. Chores for kids can:

• Instill a sense of family by showing that everyone has a part in keeping the house running smoothly.
• Come with a sense of accomplishment.
• Help build self-esteem.
• Help lay the groundwork for a good work ethic.
• Earn praise for a job well-done (and sometimes just done).
• Show that there are rewards and penalties when something gets done or doesn't. This is true whether money is attached or not (see our Allowance Basics for Kids page for more discussion on this).

Should children do chores? Yes...but now what?
Now the work begins - not just for the kids, but for you too. The biggest key to cashing in on the positive aspects above is to follow through. That means giving age appropriate chores and making sure that the child does them. Check out the resources below for more information and help.

• Need some help on which chores for kids are right for what age? Here is a handy list of suggestions.
• Or check here for teen chores.
• Need some ways to track who has what chore and if it gets done? Check out these chore chart options. Or maybe a chore contract alternative.
• And if you'd like to have all of this information in one handy reference, this chore guide may be just the thing you need. It is especially useful if you have several kids at different ages.
  
  

  ---

  Return to Chores for Kids (and Teens Too!) from Should Children Do Chores?
  
  Return to money-and-kids.com