My son learned sewing in his class when he was 9. I bought him a small sewing kit he could bring to class. He would proudly show me his stitches and I would teach him how to sew and mend.
One Saturday afternoon, I decided to mend some clothes and suddenly my son told me he would sew them for me. This was unexpected. After all classes have already ended, so why would he still want to sew? I really thought, sewing was just for the grades and all.
I watched him as he sew, lips pursed and he was taking it all seriously. He was actually into it. After that whenever there would be something to mend, I would ask him and it became one of his chores.
My son is now 13 and is learning how to play the guitar, spends most of his time playing video games or watching NBA games. But whenever there is something to mend, he still volunteers to sew the torn pajamas.
He also does other household chores. He cleans his room, wash dishes, help with the laundry and takes out the trash. Sometimes, he also cooks rice and help me with baking. His younger brother, 8, is his assistant most of the time. I let them help out with the chores. Simply because they need to learn this.
So why do we need to teach our kids to do chores?Enhance basic skills.
Sewing is a basic skill. It is not a gender role. Gone are the days, when only girls are taught how to sew. Sewing is for girls. Carpentry is for boys. Gone are the days, when boys are mocked when they sew clothes. It is a basic skill. Useful and practical. Both boys and girls need to learn this.
We don’t have to force girls to “love and practice” sewing. If our daughters are more interested in carpentry or electronics, why not? We don’t have to stop our sons from choosing sewing over carpentry. Let them be!
Reinforce good values.
Through chores, good values are reinforced. They learn more
on how to do things on their own or independence which they will use
later in life. Tasks and chores at homes remind kids that life is all
about responsibilities. Before
a chore gets done, it requires kids to devote some time and attention
and sometimes they need to sacrifice something for them to finish their
chore. Tasks make kids more patient and to prioritize as well. In doing chores, kids also learn to value hard work.
Improve self-worth.
When kids are given a chance to contribute to housework, they feel accomplished and this improves their self-worth. Having a "role" at home makes them feel more important and a sense of belonging, too. After finishing a task like taking out trash or putting away toys, giving them a high-five, "thank you" or a praise like "good job" is more than rewarding for them.
Self-discipline.
Self-discipline is a very important trait. Through chores, kids practice self-discipline. They will also learn how to prioritize chores and allot time for other personal activities. When doing chores, let your kids be involved in making the chore list and chore schedule, In that way, they have a personal involvement.
Promote team-work.
Doing chores as a family will foster cooperation, unity and team-work. This will also remind your kids that they belong to a team where they should also function as a team-player who is willing to do his or her own part for the team to be successful.
So you see, teaching household chores to our kids is
more beneficial to them than to us!
Probably today, they would complain a lot,
but as they grow older, they will realize the importance of these chores.
There are ways on how to to make chores easier to do,
fun to do and more rewarding. All you have to do is to be creative!
