Modern parents do not want to overwhelm their children’s school assignments with chores at home. These parents are more concerned with higher grades than learning how to organize, plan, and execute small projects. The reality is that when a child completes a job from beginning to end, this process will help the child do better in almost everything, including their studies.
Learning to work effectively on any assignment takes a series of skills that are necessary for completing the project successfully and in a timely manner. It is true that academic tasks use specific school terminology, but completing all projects takes a series of steps that have to be done correctly.
Mastering chores completely, correctly, and in a timely manner demonstrates the person can follow directions and think on their feet when a problem arises. When unexpected problems arise, the individual must improvise his approach in some way to complete the project. They are forced to think and plan in several areas.
Children in the USA have compulsory education through high school. Most of the regular workday is spent in class. Homework has to be done after school. When the student concentrates on his homework, it usually takes less than a couple hours when they work earnestly. Concentrating on a task to complete in a timely and correct manner takes effort, discipline, and planning.
When modern parents have other things to complete at home, they rarely ask their school-age children to help, as it may interfere with their schoolwork and projects. This sets children up for failure in time management.
An industrious youngster with chores and school work develops self-imposed time concerns and learns to use their time wisely. Besides awareness of time, the more they do, the more skills they develop to get something else done after finishing the initial project. The more a person completes projects that he has determined to do, the more he gains the ability to accomplish even more. The person perfects many physical and mental abilities they can use throughout their day and their life.
Modern parents’ desire to make their children’s existence easier as they mature often does just the opposite. When a person does more than they thought possible, they realize they can accomplish more than others while still maintaining a standard of excellence. Their self-confidence also increases when tackling other difficult tasks. This further increases their ability to take on more of life’s challenges in a self-assured manner.
It starts with little things to teach them that they can control their environment. Cleaning up and returning everything they used back to the correct place is a fantastic lifelong habit. Besides helping to keep the house in order, it also helps the child stay organized. This allows the parent to enjoy more time appreciating the child for their grown-up behavior. Little tasks for children, like cleaning windows, are positive for the parents, and they teach the child to observe the need to clean thoroughly. This forces the youngster to better evaluate their own performance. Working with the child to show him how to do the chores will prepare them to do them on their own next time.
Helping the parent plant shrubs or a garden of vegetables helps the child learn life skills to be a high-functioning person. It also affects their academic skills at school. If they learn to do a chore correctly and thoroughly, they will receive outstanding grades while acting appropriately in school.
Probably the most important purpose of parenting is to prepare the child to prosper in an ever more complex world. There is a short interval from being a child to an independent young adult. From an early age, children should be encouraged to successfully complete the many tasks that are assigned to them. The more they can accomplish well when they are young, the better prepared they will be later on. They have to be competent in order to have confidence in their future challenges.
Almost all students who graduate from high school today either enter college or the work world. In either case, they eventually have to shop for groceries, keep their home environment in acceptable order, and be frugal in handling their money.
Parents have a responsibility to teach their children how to perform their duties and how to rate the quality of their performance. Banking, shopping, and cooking, taught by the parents and learned by the children, will make them better prepared to enter the adult world.
Domenick Maglio, PhD. is a columnist carried by various newspapers and blogs, an author of several books and owner/director of Wider Horizons School, a college prep program. Dr. Maglio is an author of weekly newspaper articles, INVASION WITHIN and the latest book entitled, IN CHARGE PARENTING In a PC World. You can see many of Dr. Maglio’s articles at www.drmaglioblogspot.com.
