Activities make children successful and happy
Well, I can't guarantee happiness, but a recent article titled "Science Says These 13 Things Parents of Successful Kids Have in Common" in Tech Insider listed work as a factor. What can be the success of children as adults? They praise the work of author Julie Lythcott-Himes (How to Raise an Adult) because it teaches children that they "need to do life's work to be part of life."
Let's look at the benefits of work in a little more depth (and I'll lay out my non-scientifically proven theory of why it makes kids happier).
1. Work boosts self-esteem
Self-esteem is the belief about one's worth and worthiness. More youthful kids might not have figured out how to peruse and more seasoned youngsters might be battling with long division or quadratic conditions, yet most youngsters can figure out how to make their bed and sweep the floor. Is this worthwhile work? Of course it is much easier for a child to understand the usefulness of a clean floor than to understand that stars and algebra are going to serve them in life. Children who feel capable and competent have high self-esteem. Work is one area in which most children can develop competence relatively easily.
2. Work makes children feel needed
When we hold our children in wait, it gives children a false sense of their own worth. The irony is that as much as children are praised, doing everything for them doesn't make them feel important; Rather, it leaves children feeling disoriented and disconnected. What children want is to feel that they matter because their families need them. When the character in To Kill a Mockingbird explains to Scout why she ran away from home, Scout asks herself, "If Atticus [her father] didn't feel the need for my presence, help and support, what would I do? Counsel" ( 143). Scout firmly recognizes her place in her family and knows how important it is for them to feel needed. Contributing to the well-being of the family by doing household chores is a great way for children to feel an integral part of the cycle of a smooth family life.
3. Work by sharing work
In previous generations, families tended to have many children, as a large workforce was needed just to keep the family farm or business going. As soon as they could walk, children were allowed to do simple tasks. In this way, all the tasks of life are completed and the family continues. Today, although more work is mechanized and less work is done at home, people are also very busy outside the home. With parents working and children juggling schedules full of extracurricular activities, there is little time left for what they are doing. And yet, "according to a 2014 survey conducted by Brown Research, 82 percent of adults said they had a regular job when they were growing up, but only 28 percent asked their children to do something." (12 Jul 2015) Wow. Instead, imagine a family where chores are shared equally among family members Children will appreciate even more that everyone is able to feed and clean clothes Guess what Appreciation is associated with happiness!
4. Parents put less pressure on children to work
Only 28% of children regularly help, parents come home after a long day of work and face all evening. It's exhausting just thinking about it. Parents complain to me that they don't have time to hang out with their kids. But is it because their kids are watching TV? Or playing video games while their parents fix dinner? How about having the kids with you in the kitchen? One child can grate cheese and another can chop vegetables. When kids' hands and attention are busy, it's a good time to ask more in-depth, open-ended questions. Work time becomes connection time, and human connection is one of the most important factors for happiness. One last hidden stress-reducing factor is that parents who aren't doing dishes or folding laundry after their kids go to bed may actually have time to sit down and engage themselves! Attached parents do a good job of supporting their children and making them feel safe.
5. Doing Chores Teaches Kids Skills at Home They Can Use at School
uh? How does laundry help you write a clear, well-supported essay? Well, doing laundry teaches responsibility, accountability, planning, attention to detail, and follow-through (have you ever had a messy pile of clothes because you forgot to move them to the dryer?). Don't have all the skills you need in essay writing? Absolutely! And all kinds of school related work like doing homework on time, returning homework, dividing assignments into multiple steps etc. Children who learn to do things on their own are independent learners. They are great team members for group work. They know that many hands make lighter work and they are ready to share them. They don't expect anyone else--let alone a mother or father--to do their work for them.
And that's not all!!
So here are four arguments for increasing your kids' happiness at work and one for increasing their success in school (not to mention later in life). And here's another argument: Doing chores like kids helps teach kids about work/life balance early on. Life is just school work, dutifully taking piano and soccer practice. It's also about creating a healthier place to live and cooking nutritious meals that bring families together. They have long been considered the cornerstone of a happy home. Oh, and did I mention that kids who participate in cooking tend to have more varied, nutritious diets? And do children who participate in washing and cleaning take better care of their clothes and toys? In fact, the more I think about it, the longer the list gets.
Conclusion
And all kinds of school related work like doing homework on time, returning homework, dividing assignments into multiple steps etc. So here are four arguments for increasing your kids happiness at work and one for increasing their success in school (not to mention later in life). And here's another argument: Doing chores like kids helps teach kids about work life balance early on.
