Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Involving Kids in Real Work


My kids think washing windows is fun. They also think doing the laundry, dusting, and helping cook is fun, too. They think this because they see me doing it, and little kids naturally want to do whatever it is their parents are doing.

The problem comes when adults think of ways to push kids away from helping. I get it; believe me, I do. It's not always a fun, care-free thing to have your 2 year old help mix, stir, pour, or chop while you make dinner. Sometimes half the dinner winds up on the floor, or you have to mop the floor once again. It also takes double the time to make the bed, dust, separate the laundry or mop the floor when your thee year old is by your side.

But the parents who always put their kids in front of the T.V. or try to get them involved in something else whenever they are doing chores and the kids want to help, are the the same parents who want their 12, 13 and 14 year olds to help out more around the house. Why should those kids want to now?  When they did have a deep interest, they learned they were just in the way. There have been no habits formed at a time when the kids did not see pitching in around the house as "work"; it was simply wanting to be like mommy and daddy.

My kids can crack an egg open neatly, chop vegetables, pour, mix with the mixer, separate laundry, put clothes from the washer to the dryer, dust, spray down windows, mop a floor with assistance, and help make a bed. Never have I asked either of the kids to help me do any of these things. They see me doing them, and ask to do them, too. Because she is an early reader, Alexa also reads off the grocery list to me at the store, and both kids put things from the shelves into the cart.

Are my kids special?  Well, of course, but not in the sense that other kids their age couldn't do the same things, too, if their parents would involve them in their every day work. I've read of kids who can hammer nails perfectly at age three, fry their own eggs by themselves at 7 (oh, wait, that was me!) and know how to dock a boat at age 5. It's simply because they've had hours and hours of practice at their parents' side doing these things.

If natural, life learning is to take place, kids must be involved in real, adult work from the time they are just toddlers. They need to know they are useful, and that they have an important part to play in the family. If we encourage kids in other interests, we must expand this to include practical skills, not simply ones certain people would deem "educational."



6 comments:

Angela said...

I came over from the Carnival ...

This is something I've been trying to be more mindful of lately. Thanks for the reminder!

Darcel said...

My kids love to help me cook, and help out around the house. Like you said, it can slow things down a bit, but they really enjoy helping me.

Jen said...

Also coming from the carnival...

I have never put my kids in front of the TV, we don't have one. Even though they worked alongside me as littles, it's like pulling teeth to get my 8yo and 5yo to help with household tasks like that now. I agree with much of what you say and it is worth any extra effort to enable young kids to be involved in our work, but I also feel that there are a couple of unfair generalizations in your post.

Chris said...

I hope you can write back and let me know which points I made that were unfair generalizations so I could address those issues. I know my kids are still young, and like you even said, they do seem to enjoy stuff like that more when they are little. Maybe that will change; perhaps. All I know is that virtually all kids want to be like the adults around them. They want to spend time with their parents. Those families I know that welcome their children alongside them from the time they are little have children that are more willing to help out. No, it will not be this amazing, fun new thing to do as when they were two, but it will turn into new things to be excited about, like helping paint a room, change oil in the car or drywall a room.

Every child is an individual; of course you can't say that all children will love helping do everything around the house until they are 18. I believe in letting my children follow their passions and introducing them to new experiences, so I would never say there's a on-size-fits all for all children. Far from it.

However, I do firmly believe almost all children really want to be a contributing part of a family, if they are made to feel loved, included, needed and wanted. And the way to do that is to let them help out as much as possible with the adult work they can handle.

Chris said...

Darcel,

Thanks for checking out this post. I've recently become a follower of your blog, and I love the pictures you post of your girls playing and looking so full of life. I'd like to comment on your blog but am having trouble.

Sara said...

My kids love house chores, too. My husband's mother always chased him out of the kitchen and now he is a near-40-yr-old who can't cook (or clean, so he says).