“Lazy” modern children should be given more chores
Research shows youngsters need daily tasks to encourage them to be responsible
Grandparents would say chores never did them any harm, and it seems opinion is swinging back in favour of dishing them out for youngsters once again.
New research says today’s children need to be given daily tasks to encourage them to be more responsible. Parents are reluctant to set youngsters too many jobs and instead give them only trivial duties, such as tidying up toys.
Researchers looked at articles in parenting magazines published between 1920 and 2006. They found that until the 1980s, readers agreed that chores helped children develop a positive regard for others and prevented boredom.
Markella Rutherford, who led the study at Wellesley College in Massachusetts, said, “One mother’s letter describes how she taught her four-year-old to lay kindling and strike a match to start a fire.”
The research found that children are now given less tricky tasks, and are often bribed with pocket money to help out around the house. A British survey recently found that children earn about £700 million a year running errands for parents.
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Jeremy Todd, from Parentline Plus, said, “Giving children their own must-do chores is great for self-discipline and building their confidence.”
Do you think it’s a good idea to give children regular chores? Let us know below….
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