Monday, June 6, 2016

Put Some Responsibility On Your Kid’s Shoulders

Today’s fantastic family finance article is:

Fifth Wheel


Remarking on chores, columnist Tom Westfall observes:

“In today’s highly automated world, many kids grow up with so few responsibilities, in terms of their family, that they often feel like fifth wheels — unimportant and almost in the way.”

Giving kids chores is a chore, but it’s our responsibility to give our kids the responsibility.

Why? It gives them purpose and stability. As Pauline Phillips, aka Abigail Van Buren famous for her Dear Abby advice column, said:

“If you want children to keep their feet on the ground, put some responsibility on their shoulders.”

Chores are about belonging, participating, responsibility, purpose, character.

What are they not about? Perfection. Efficiency. Yes, you can probably do it better and faster — and, hopefully, with a lot less whining.

But that’s not the point.

So, it’s time to stop whining about the hassle of giving your kids chores. Put in the extra effort to make your kid feel like a big wheel around the house, not a fifth wheel.


1 comment:

  1. Thanks for this. I completely agree but it's nice to be reminded - nearly every choice you make when raising kids, including ones you don't think they see, ends up affecting who they develop into...

    ReplyDelete