Why Chores Matter: Building Life Skills, Independence, and Family Bonds

by mingler | Nov 18, 2024 | At Home, Child Development, Early Childhood, Elementary School, Grades, Grades 1-5, High School, Kindergarten, Middle School, Parent Education, Preschool

By Mia Hammerschmidt | Education Support Teacher

Assigning chores to children is more than just teaching them responsibility—it fosters independence, builds confidence, and strengthens their connection to the family unit. Research has shown that children who do chores from an early age develop a stronger sense of accountability and work ethic, skills that benefit them well into adulthood. Chores also provides a hands-on way for children to learn time management, problem-solving, and teamwork. Here are a few resources you might find helpful:

1. TED Talk on the importance of love and chores, Julie Lythcott-Haims, the former Dean of Freshmen at Stanford, makes the case for parents to stop defining their children’s success via grades and test scores. Instead, she says, they should focus on providing the oldest idea of all: unconditional love and household chores
2. Findings from a long-term study on chores used data collected over 25 years to find out whether asking children to help with household chores (starting at age 3 or 4) was instrumental in predicting children’s success into their mid-20s
3. Podcast: On Teens and Chores.
4. Chore Recommendations from WSP Middle School Teachers.