by Dawn Hawkins

Created on: February 22, 2009   Last Updated: May 14, 2009

We are our children's first teachers. From their beginning, they rely on you for everything. It is your responsibility to teach them the basics of responsibility towards themselves and others. Teaching your child about doing chores is one of the best ways for them to learn life-long good habits.

Your kids might gripe and groan about doing household chores but it's your duty to see that they accomplish them. If you create a game-like atmosphere for them, they will "want" to do them rather than being forced to do those not-so-fun things we all have to do.

Here are some ways in which doing chores helps your child along their life's path:

1. Responsibility- Children learn how to be responsible for themselves and others while doing chores. This is the number one reason that children will learn from doing chores. Children that don't learn how to do chores will carry that attitude through life. It may seem unfair to them now, chores teach them that there are certain things in life we must do.

2. Teamwork- Since everyone in the house will have chores they have to accomplish, your children will learn that when everyone works together to accomplish their goals the work can be done faster and more efficiently.

3. Organization- When your child accomplishes their chore they will see how much nicer it is to have things in an orderly fashion. Organization is an important tool that we use throughout our lives. It is much easier to find something we are looking for when it is where it's supposed to be. Your children will soon realize that they would like things to be easier.

4. Good Work Ethic- Your children will learn about good work ethics through chore completion. They will know what is expected of them and know that they have to complete it within a certain amount of time in order to get the reward that lies at the end. The reward could be something as simple as being able to go outside and play after their chores are done. When they get older and have to work, they will know that if they complete their tasks there will be the reward of a paycheck at the end.

5. Earning Their Way- Children will learn that when they want something they have to work for it. This is an urgent message to send to our children. There is nothing worse than to see a child who has become so reliant on their parents that when they become adults they have no idea how to make it in the world. It's nice to hand your kids everything they want so that we see those big smiles

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