*If you don't teach your children to work, who will?*
A Breakdown of the Ages:
0-3 Mother's little helper: At this stage, children love to help (even if their 'help' is more like destruction)
2-4 1/2 Personal Chores: Children learn to get dressed, make bed, keep their rooms picked up. They need a lot of encouragement and help.
4 1/2-6 Family Jobs: Work side-by-side doing work that benefits the whole family.
6-8 Children do their own jobs with supervision.
8 and up Children can do any job an adult can do, and they can do it correctly.
-We need to value work more than play.
-When we clean up a child's mess, we are developing a characteristic of dependence in them.
-They can do a lot more than we think they can. Don't underestimate children.
-Read How to Talk so Kids Can Learn
by Adele Faber.-You stop the complaining by being consistent. If there is a lot of whining, increase the workload until things are in good order.
In our home, we have been working on these things the last couple weeks. To be honest, I don't think any homeschooling mom can do a good job of teaching and housekeeping herself. Everyone has to be involved. We are trying hard to clean up after ourselves and work together.
Here is the cleaning schedule we have been using...
Monday: Make Bread
Tuesday: Dust and Vacuum
Wednesday: Clean Bathrooms
Thursday: Mop
Friday: Run Errands
This is so true! Years ago I read Merrilee Boyack's book The Parenting Breakthrough: Real-Life Plan to Teach Kids to Work, Save Money, and Be Truly Independent and WOW! It was inspiring!
ReplyDeleteMy children have always had chores, cut they were capable of so much more. My youngest child who is now 9, is the best clothes folder in the house - hands down! I taught him and yet he is better than I am at it! Go figure!
The saying "Many hands make light work" is absolutely true, isn't it?