McKay 1

Liam McKay

Mrs. Cramer

Comp Pd. 3

5 March 2021

The Importance of Chores

Chores may be more useful than you believe. In a household with children, everyone may

benefit because the children are required to do chores. The chores, even if complained about, are

beyond helpful to a child for multiple reasons. Also, for parents it means less cleaning. Children

should have chores because they teach multiple lessons such as self-reliance, and that work is

rewarding.

First, chores may be useful to teach a child self-reliance. When a child has chores, they

have a responsibility. These responsibilities in turn make them more successful. This is because

responsibility makes a person reliable which leads to success. The Benefit of Chores states

“Research indicates that those children who do have a set of chores have higher self-esteem, are

more responsible, and are better able to deal with frustration and delay gratification, all of which

contribute to greater success in school.” (Pg.1, Sec.4) Also, chores will teach them to prioritize

themselves. If a child is required to do chores prior to being able to do something (going to a

concert for example), then this is how prioritization can be taught. The skill of being able to

prioritize will help a child, especially in school when balancing projects, sports, work, and a

social life. To conclude, chores teach self-reliance skills such as responsibility and how to

prioritize.

Next, chores can teach a child how work can be a rewarding experience, rather than being

an experience they should dread. As previously mentioned in paragraph two, if a child must
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complete a chore before they can do something this teaches them to prioritize. This can lead to

less power struggles between parents and their children (Holly 1). However, this also teaches

them that there is a reward for working. This shows how children will see a positive in working

and will see the benefits they can get for working hard. Next, some parents even compensate

their children for doing chores with an allowance. If a child completes a chore and is paid, they

have the opportunity to learn the value of money. This will teach them the importance of

working for what they want. To conclude, chores teach kids that working hard in life is rewarded

in various ways.

Some people contend that when a child is required to do chores at home they may dread

being there. Although true to a certain extent, this argument can be proven false because if

parents are rewarding their children for completing the tasks, then the child should feel a sense of

reward. To support this, if completing a chore means more technology time for a child, then that

kid will want to complete the chore so they can receive more time with their technology. To

conclude, chores do not have to be something a child dreads but be something that a child looks

forward to for the reward.

Some may say only bad parents make their kid do chores. Contrary to this opinion,

parents who make their kids do chores may be considered better parents because they are

teaching their child many lessons. Chores teach children responsibility, time management, and

various other skills for adulthood. “As Lynn Lott, a psychologist and coauthor of Chores

Without Wars, told me, “Chores are one of the best mediums we have for teaching kids

about being part of a family, and about belonging, significance, and teamwork.””

(Newman 2). To conclude, parents that make their kids do chores may be even better parents due

to the lessons they are teaching their child in the process.

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To conclude, children can learn many things when their parents have them complete

chores such as self-reliance, and that hard work rewards you. Chores teach you responsibility,

time management, and to be reliable. They can also teach a child that if they work hard for

something they can receive various types of rewards from doing so. Chores are a very valuable

lesson for many kids proving just how not useless they are.
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Works Cited

“The Benefits of Chores.” The Center for Parenting Education,

centerforparentingeducation.org/library-of-articles/responsibility-and-chores/part-i-
benefits-of-chores/.

Holly Tiret, Michigan State University Extension and Rebecca Hodges. “The Benefits of Kids
Doing Chores.” MSU Extension, 17 Mar. 2021,
www.canr.msu.edu/news/the_benefits_of_kids_doing_chores.

Newman, Catherine, and Catherine Newman. “Why Chores Matter.” Parents,

www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/development/behavioral/why-chores-matter/.