Planting Lifelong Skills in Your KidsSample

CHILDREN AND CHORES Do you require your children to do chores around the house? If your answer is “no,” you may want to reconsider that decision. As a father of two young boys, I’d hate to deprive my kids of one of the most important opportunities they have to prepare for adulthood. Household chores may be one of the most overlooked areas for growth in children. For younger kids, simple tasks like picking up toys or making their bed can be an ideal way to build self-confidence. When a toddler successfully completes small jobs they’re given, they feel good about themselves, and they’ll want to take on even bigger challenges. That’s a quality they’ll need in abundance as they move through their elementary school years. If you have an older child, you’ve probably encountered a different scenario. The closer a child gets to the teen years, the more helping mom and dad around the house loses its luster. But parents shouldn’t give in to a child’s complaining too quickly. Emptying a dishwasher may seem insignificant, but even mundane tasks can help teens develop the maturity they’ll need as adults to do what needs to be done. Household chores can play an important role in a child’s development. Like schoolwork, they help children learn how to take responsibility for a series of tasks and see each one through to completion. And that’s a skill they’ll lean on their entire life as they seek to be obedient to God’s calling. For a daily dose of encouragement and perspective, check out Jim Daly’s blog, Daly Focus, at JimDalyBlog.com.