Children learn valuable life skills when they help with household chores.

The chores they do can prepare them for life on their own. All children should know how to care for themselves by the time they are teenagers. As parents we are responsible to raise our children in a way that once they are on their own, they can confidently and successfully take care of themselves.

Here are some of the benefits of assigning chores to your children.

They Learn Life Skills

By the time a child is a teen they should know how to do simple but important everyday tasks, like how to cook a meal, clean the house, do laundry, shop for groceries, manage their finances and perform basic home maintenance jobs. You can construct chores so that these lessons are learned while they are doing them.

They Learn Self-Reliance and Responsibility

By assigning children regular chores that personally affect them like doing their own laundry, cleaning and organizing their rooms, doing the dishes, cooking and taking out the trash they become self-sufficient and gain confidence, setting a good foundation for functioning independently.

They Learn Cooperation

When a family does chores together and each person is responsible for their set of duties kids learn the importance of teamwork and how to cooperate with others. When everyone is working together for the benefit of all they take pride in knowing that their piece of the puzzle has been completed.

They Learn Respect & Empathy

If children are involved in everyday care and maintenance of the home, they develop a greater appreciation for what their parents do to take care of them, they are more empathetic because they understand the effort it takes to maintain a home.

They Develop a Strong Work Ethic

Children who are assigned chores and face consequences when the chores are not complete develop a strong work ethic which they will need to successfully thrive as adults.

They Learn to Plan and Manage Their Time

When children understand they are expected to complete certain tasks each day it teaches them organizational skills and they learn to balance work and play from a young age.

Builds Self Confidence

When children are assigned a task and complete it successfully, they gain a sense of pride and self-confidence. As a child, knowing you can prepare a meal, or do the laundry, brings a sense of achievement and satisfaction.

They Foster Family Communication

When families work together there is more opportunity for healthy, meaningful conversation because chores teach communication skills and how to work as a team.