Hi there! I’m Christina, a mom of two littles, a licensed mental health therapist, and a children’s book author! Thanks for checking out my site. Look around! I’m sure there’s something here for you! This guest post, written by Andrea Gibbs, is about everyday chores your child can do to build character.
We all want our children to be happy, resilient, and successful. One of the many ways we can support our children as they’re growing is by helping build their character. We can do this by boosting their understanding of responsibility and other necessary life skills that they may not learn at school or on the playground.
Assigning small responsibilities and chores can condition your children to handle bigger ones in the future, develop patience and self-reliance, and contribute to their self-esteem. It is also a great source of learning, especially for young children who cannot yet read. Here are some ways chores build character in children:
1. Instill values
Assigning chores is an excellent way to help children learn important values. Chores teach the importance of working hard, doing their best, and accomplishing tasks. As you go about your daily routine during which you do specific tasks, you can point out what activities you’re doing and why.
2. Build confidence
Chores can help children develop their self-esteem and sense of autonomy. Children are developing more realistic expectations of themselves by being given responsibilities. Chores provide them with a measure of accomplishment and help build their sense of independence and competence.
Remember to keep the chores within your child’s developmental abilities. For example, if your child is too little to do the dishes, then you can assign him a simpler chore, like collecting his toys and putting them away. With real little kids, a visual chart is a great way to break down tasks into manageable bites to ensure they feel capable of completing the items. Celebrate your children’s efforts with them!
3. Help set goals
Chores set a foundation for goal-setting. Once they accomplish a task, they are likely to feel more able to tackle harder challenges and chores. You and your children can reflect on how completing smaller chores helps build up to bigger chores, and how chipping away at the smaller tasks is part of the bigger goal. You will notice your smiles and feel proud of your children as they accomplish those bigger goals, each in its specialty or task.
4. Teach responsibility
When you assign your children routine chores, they will appreciate that there are tasks that need to be done daily, and these things will not just magically happen. It also builds their sense of ownership and obligation.
For instance, you may set up a routine where after dinner, they have time to relax while you do the dishes; when it’s time for their homework or activity, they can help with the dishes. This will help them develop the concept that they must consider others.
5. Build interpersonal skills
Chores help children develop social skills. Assigning smaller tasks can help them see things from another person’s perspective and gain the ability to cooperate and work as a team. Chores can be a good way for children to learn socialization and discipline, which are necessary skills in life.
6. Instill reasoning skills
Doing chores can help children learn about cause and effect. By learning how to take on responsibilities and complete them, they will have a greater appreciation for why things are happening the way they are. A child could learn that by making their bed each morning, or by putting away toys when they’re finished with them, their room and home is that much closer to being clean. That way when it’s time for guests and the house needs a once over, there is less work to do!
7. Shape your child’s future
Chores can have a big impact on shaping your child’s future. How you assign, manage, and monitor chores will influence how he or she continues to support the family and the home as they grow. Ideally, you are laying the foundation for your children to grow more and more self-sufficient as they get older and eventually become autonomous adults!
Everyday chores your child can do to build their character
Giving them tasks makes them more responsible, which helps them gain confidence and improve their judgment.
These tasks can be very simple and straightforward that they can complete with minimal help from you.
- Help put the laundry in the washer machine, or transfer to the dryer
- Clean a room
- Organize toys and clothes
- Sort the mail
- Do the dishes by hand
- Wash bedsheets and blankets
- Take out the trash
- Set the table
- Fold and put away clothes
- Take out the trash
- Make their bed
- Collect newspapers and recycling
- Unload and load the dishwasher
- Sweep the floor
- Sweep the patio/walkway
- Pick up after themselves
These are just a few ways help your child build character and life skills in children by doing everyday chores. You can add or remove chores according to your child’s age and skill level.
Author Bio
Andrea is currently the head of content management at SpringHive Web Design Company, a digital agency that provides creative web design, social media marketing, email marketing, and search engine optimization services to small businesses and entrepreneurs. She is also a blog contributor at Baby Steps Preschool where she writes storytime themes, parenting tips, and seasonal activities to entertain children.
