Dear Sarah, What do you think is a good age at which to start giving children chores? Should chores be a requirement for getting an allowance? Signed, Uncertain in Belchertown Dear Uncertain, Ah, chores! This is a hot topic among many of the parents in my practice and one that I have struggled with myself, over the years. I am a big fan of chores for several reasons: Chores teach children… Read More
As some of you know, keeping chickens is an involved process. In our monthly column, “Let Them Grow: Fresh Ways to Engage Toddlers in Creative Free Play,” Candice puts forth that having children tend to chickens can support their development. The laying out of step-by-step chores gives kids ownership over tasks, which leads to them having a sense of accomplishment.
Read more on what Candice has laid out as pointers to bring about a hands-on learning experience for kids.
In order to help your child have experiences that develop life skills and build self esteem, make small tasks child friendly so that they can participate. Here are some 10 easy chores a two year old child can do…
Want to get your kids to do more chores around the house? Read how Shana’s youngest son bargained to do small jobs around the house to earn enough money for the Halloween costume of his dreams in “Parenting Possibilities” this month… Child labor or teaching moment?
Making Responsibility Fun Did you know that in Japan, most schools don’t employ janitors? It’s true! Rather than have someone clean up after them, students and teachers take 15 minutes to scrub the school themselves each day. The practice is called “souji,” and educators say it helps kids learn about responsibility. By thinking of responsibility as “helping each other,” chores feel less like drudgery and more like teamwork. And when it comes to… Read More
Question and Answer This week let’s talk about chores, allowances and how to teach kids about money management: First, let’s discuss chores… What chores are your kids expected to do around the house, and what is their age? How about allowances? For those families who choose to give allowances, what is a reasonable amount for what age? Should an allowance be tied into doing chores? How do you motive your kids to… Read More
The Foundation of Childhood Chores Hilltown Families presents … Do I Have To?: How Chores Empower Families, a FREE interactive and fun presentation for adults with author Susan Tordella at 6:30pm on Wednesday, March 30th at Cup & Top Cafe (1 North Main St.) in Florence, MA. Learn how cleaning toilets, washing dishes and raking leaves empower families. Author of Raising Able: How Chores Cultivate Capable Young People (www.raisingable.com), Susan Tordella will… Read More
It’s Memé Clean! One summer, when the boys were little… say around 10 and 7… we had quite a fly problem in the house. It seemed no matter what I did — spray, fly paper, clean, clean, clean every day — there seemed to be more and more flies bouncing off the windows and zoom-buzzing by my head, seemingly taunting me with their existence. I became obsessed with ridding the house of them and… Read More