Picture Credit: Sarah Jane
The question of attracting children to help in domestic affairs, at first glance, has a clear answer – the child should help because of his age and abilities. In fact, not all children of preschool and school age are real helpers of parents. There are many reasons for this. First of all, these are parents’ mistakes.
When kids start helping their parents
An interesting point is that a child’s desire to help his mother and his ability to really help manifest themselves at different ages. Another one-year-old with an uncertain gait and awkward handles with pleasure watches the actions of adults, shows interest in household items: pans, vacuum cleaner, broom, watering can for flowers.
In 2-3 years, the kids copy the actions of the mother, they strive to do something on their own. For a busy mother, this behavior of the child becomes an additional burden, it is easier for her to perform the necessary actions herself, quickly and correctly, than to control the inept attempts of the baby. And then to eliminate the consequences of his unsuccessful help.
But later, if to suppress the child’s attempts to help, he will lose the desire to offer help. He will get used to the fact that everyone does it for him, it will become the norm.
In addition, it is easier to teach a child to fold his things neatly, to sweep the floor and wash dishes, than to do it all his life for him. Regardless of whether the boy is a girl or a girl, everyone should be able to clean the dishes, clean the room, wash the floor.
Sometimes parents consciously seek to protect the child from domestic problems, understanding so love and care, trying to give the child a carefree childhood.
Picture Credit: Sarah Jane
When the child becomes older and begins to show self-centeredness and exactingness in desires, the parents recapture and try to bring the labor element into the upbringing. But time has already been lost: since the age of five, disobedience, insistence on one’s desires, and moods are characteristic of children. In order to accustom a child to work, now it will take more effort, conversation, explanation, perhaps, some coercion.
The benefits of child labor education
Psychologists have come to the conclusion that attracting a child to home affairs and accustoming to feasible work has a beneficial effect on the personal development and social adaptation of the child.
A child who helps his parents grows up to be a person with a high but adequate self-esteem, he easily enters the collective and takes a worthy place in it, without causing irritation to others by increased egocentrism and ambition.
Children-assistants correctly assess the living conditions in their family, less often show material caprices and realize the level of parental care. Who knows how to take care of his things, he will not constantly demand to buy everything new.
The feeling of their abilities makes these children more self-confident. They are able to make decisions, are not afraid of difficulties and are able to cooperate with others.
Constant domestic duties teach children to plan and count their strength. He can break a complex task into several simple steps and perform them gradually. This is a good experience, which will be useful in later life.
It is easier for an assistant child to get used to school activities that require effort, work and discipline. He already knows that he is able to cope with difficulties and is not frightened of difficult educational tasks.
In the future family, when a little man grows up, it will be easy for him to establish life in everyday life. He will be prepared for everything. Skills of housekeeping, cleaning and cooking will be useful not only for girls, but also for boys. To be able to prepare your own food and clean up with yourself is useful to be able to all.
Recommendations for teaching a child to work
Parents must overcome the misunderstood care for children and the attitude to child care in the home, both to the exploitation of child labor. A soft, but systematic, involvement of a little man into the family life will be only beneficial.
Do not stop the baby’s first timid attempts to imitate parents in their household chores. The child can fold toys and clothes, wipe the dust off the stool, serve things for cooking or drying, cover the table.
In the store you can charge to take small goods from the shelves and put them in the basket. In 3-4 years, when the baby shows the greatest interest in parental affairs, you can come up with many small, easy tasks for him.
Young children are very sensitive to praise and encouragement, so parents should not forget to thank them for their help, to praise, to call my mother’s helpers.
If the child does not show initiative, adults will have to ask or gently ask for the assignment. To begin with, you can propose to accomplish the task together, make an element of the game or adventure.
The baby’s first attempts are likely to be inept and ineffective. When he will wash the dishes, pour water around, the brush can not only sweep the floor, but also the sofa, and other furniture. Although over time, he will learn to do it all better.
The task of adults is not to reproach for inability and awkwardness, not to criticize, so that the kid is not afraid to offer his help in the future. Tips and teachings should be done in a soft form, with full confidence that the next time everything will turn out just fine.
Clear and understandable tasks are an important factor. Abstract formulations children do not understand and even may get scared. They will definitely refuse to do them. It will be more effective to address by name and simple words to calmly say what needs to be done.
In order to make it easier for children to do household chores, we must take care of the convenient arrangement of the entire inventory. For example, a broom and a scoop should be small and light. The place for storing toys should correspond to the growth of the child, rags for dust should be stored in a place accessible to children.
Ideally, the baby should not depend on the help of adults when performing errands. Otherwise, he will lose interest and awareness of his independence.
It is very important in the labor education of the attitude of adults towards homework. It should not be presented as a forced, unpleasant and uninteresting occupation. In this case, household duties will automatically become a punishment and will be rejected by the child. On the contrary, it is necessary to form a child’s view of domestic affairs as a privilege, and to recognize the child as an independent person.
Moms should remember that it’s better to spend some time learning a baby and then get a real assistant than to deny a child who wants to help. Subsequently, this can lead to conflicts in the family and problems in the personal life of the grown up person.