5 Reasons Kids Need to Help in the Home
Helping out in the home is something I learnt from an early age. It’s really a great opportunity for parents to teach children the value of work but even better it helps to get things done faster and gives parents more time to do quality activities with the kids.
Cleaning together can be fun and help build a relationship. I know. As a child, I’d sing with my Mother as we washed and dried the dishes, medical talk as we tidied and laugh as we cooked together. These are the memories I now cherish and these were opportunities for me to develop important skills I would later need in life.
With that said here are 5 reasons kids need to help in the home.
Teach Kids to Contribute
Everyone eats, makes a mess, dirties the dishes and makes laundry. Getting children to tidy up, put their laundry in the basket, help load the machine and contribute to the housework teaches them to contribute as a family member and share in the work needed to be done in the home.
Teaching Kids the Importance of Learning
One of the best things about having kids help out in the house is the fact they learn new skills. I’m a strong believer that the home is the primary place for learning. If your child does not learn housework skills in the home, they will have to learn it somewhere else.
When I was an adult and living on my own, the things I’d learnt to do as a child were simple and easy for me, however one or two things I’d not learnt appeared a little overwhelming for me. I appreciated all I had learnt and realised the value of picking up housework skills as a child.
Teaching Kids the Value of Work
From an early age I learnt the value of work. If I wanted something I earned it. I then appreciated the things I had and valued what I had earned.
In contrast I had friends who were given whatever they wanted and they grew up expecting things to be handed to them on a plate.
They did not want to work and did not care for or look after the things they owned. Interestingly some of these friends do not work now as adults.
Teaching Kids About Responsibility
Having a responsibility is a good opportunity for children. When you are responsible for something, you know people are relying on you and are much more likely to follow through than if your not expected to do a chore.
Teaching Children About Appreciation
Working is not always fun, however if children are taught from a young age to work and help out in the home, they will also learn to appreciate the work others do for them.
For example if a child has helped clean the garden, they are not going to want to throw rubbish around to make it unclean.
Likewise when a child helps mop the floor, they might feel frustrated if someone walked in putting mud everywhere.
Learning to appreciate the work you and others do will teach Kids to be grateful.
It’s not always easy to know what is and what is not appropriate for each child. For my daughter I started out asking her to place her own laundry in the basket and then built up from their.
My daughter has a daily responsibility of letting her dogs out in the morning to use the toilet.
My child is now learning to make her own bed each morning and then when she comes home she finds her bed lovely and made up and welcoming at bed time.
Teaching kids to help in the home is a great idea. It will help prepare your children for the later years and install in them a good work ethic which can only help them later in life.
Angela x
About Angela Milnes
Angela Milnes is a Qualified Early Years Teacher who has specialised in Preschool and Kindergarten teaching. She has a wealth of experience teaching young children and is passionate about kids crafts and having fun as a family. Angela has also taught cooking skills and loves to share both family recipes and easy instant pot recipes here on The Inspiration Edit. Follow her on Pinterest!
Oh yes, I couldn't agree more. My girls know to put their dirty clothes in the basket and normally sort them into darks and lights with a little prompting. They also help me hang it up to dry. Ava has recently started making breakfast, so we are going through gallons of milk as she learns to pour it, but she's so pleased with herself! I too have lovely memories of baking with my mum and hope my girls will have them too xx
it's great to teach them young to have small responsibilities. 🙂
We have brought our kids up in a montessori style setting really and so they learn to help with pretty much everything.
Oh Montessori is a great teaching style. I do like that and learnt a lot about that as a teacher. 🙂
This is an excellent read! We have a 7 year old and 3 year old twins and they all help out around the house! I feel giving them a set off chores helps develop their sense of responsibility a great deal. Of course we still get those tantrums once in a while but it's really all part of the process.
Thanks Bradley. it's great to teach kids to help at an early age.
Totally agree - but it is a different ball game with teens! Mine are pretty good but it can be stressful 'bribing' them to help!! Kaz x
Bribes can be useful lol!
I always helped my parents at home. Even if it was something small like washing dishes, it taught me to share responsibilities.
Me too. We helped out from a very young age.
I think this is great because it teaches kids really good skills for later on in life
I agree. It's important to teach them the values we want them to have.
Its essential to teach children basic house keeping so they know what a clean home looks like...and how to manage their own affairs when they are older. I definitely agree with this post. Children need to be part of he smooth running of the home and also to appreciate the effort it takes to do all these things!
I agree.
I couldnt agree more with this and you can add husbands to it too ha x
Agreed... Husbands can help too!
This is definitely important! They don't teach these kinds of skills in school and it should be handed down from parent/guardian to the next generation.
Agreed. The parent is always the first teacher.
I totally agree with you, these are great tips! I think teaching them how to help at home is a really good thing for them, otherwise they will see it as something boring and difficult to do x
I agree. I'm working on this with Sylvia and she is getting really good at helping.
I think having them help out, even with small tasks, will definitely make them value work a bit more, and I'm sure that any extra help for the parents is very appreciated 😀
Agreed. Helping out mum in the home is always a good quality or skill to learn!
Definitely! Little M helps out with lots around the home too. I like to involve him and it makes it fun too! I have to say he hasn't got set 'chores' really, but this has inspired me to introduce that! x
I'm hoping to make a list of set chores for sylvia so she can earn the things she would like.
Helping out around the house as a kid taught me to be houseproud as an adult!
I think it did the same for me.