A new survey indicates something that many people have seen in their own lives; children today are doing fewer chores around the house.
The survey taken earlier this year asked the opinions of over 1,700 Canadian adults and was commissioned by Whirlpool Canada.
Develop indedependence, and interaction with others
Some 59 percent said that kids today do less housework than when they were young. Yet most-69 percent- say when chidren have a positive attitude toward household chores they develop increased independence, while 57 percent said it improves a child’s ability to work well with others.
This survey echoes results of other studies such as in the US where in 2002, a longitudinal study by professor emeritus Marty Rossman showed that children who were given chores starting at a young age tended to be more self sufficient and have greater academic and career success than those given chores as teens or not at all.
Therapist and parenting expert Alyson Schafer says, “Too often children are excused from helping, or treated like indentured servants who resist being ordered around”. She says that instead parents “need to invite them to help and participate in the jobs needed to keep the home running smoothly. It’s these contributions and helpfulness that make children feel valued, feel a part of the family, and build life skills for when they set up their own home”.
Other results of this latest Canadian survey include:
- 89 per cent of Canadians surveyed feel parents need to lead by example if they expect their children to adopt a positive attitude to doing household chores
- 59 per cent of Canadians surveyed feel it is most appropriate to start giving children household chores when they are between five and eight years old, while 27 per cent view the ages of nine to eleven years the best time to start giving chores to children
- Among parents surveyed with children at home, 50 per cent describe their household as opting for a clear division of responsibility, while only 28 per cent say they try to do chores together and 20 per cent of parents do all of the chores themselves
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