Chapter 8. Household Affairs

Nowadays, in families where all adults work, household chores are by no means the privilege of any one person. Everyone should help each other, and children are no exception. If they learn from an early age that adults need to help with housework, then the atmosphere in such a family becomes better, and the endless daily work is completed easier and faster.

The tips and tricks offered in this chapter will help parents teach their children that they, too, have responsibilities around the house that can be fun and even rewarding. The child must feel that the work he does is truly beneficial.

Naturally, praise always works better on children than criticism, even if it is fair. For most of them, it is easier to simply avoid a task than to then listen to moral lectures about how it should have been completed. Therefore, try to encourage your child.

The best praise for a baby will not be general reasoning: “Sally, you are the best at helping your mother!” or “Thank you, George, you helped me a lot!”, and the assessment of a specific job done: “Jane, I’m proud of you. You cleaned up your toys so well!” or “What a blessing that my son knows how to fold socks neatly!” or “Well done, you did such a great job and never took a break.”

Sometimes we praise children, and sometimes even in those cases when they themselves understand that they did not cope with the task in the best way. It is very dangerous! If a child understands that praise and compliments are associated with a special attitude towards him, and not with the result of specific work, then in the future these rewards will have no value. Your love for your child is limitless, but you need to show your feelings wisely.

However, if your child does a good job and you respond by giving him a new task instead of rewarding him, he may feel guilty and disappointed, as if he did a bad job. Try to give your child assignments that correspond to his capabilities and abilities.