Children and Chores: How Much?
A new study has identified an emerging domestic threat that could be responsible for making future marriages teeter and prompting a decline in volunteerism and empathy.
The study is about children and chores.
University of Maryland Professor Sandra Hofferth—who is an expert on how children use their time—reports that 6 to 12 year-olds now spend an average of only 24 minutes a day doing household chores. That’s a 12% drop from 1997, and a 25% skid since 1981.
The chore-defying dive reflects “important behavioral and values shifts that will affect lives for years to come,” says Dr. Hofferth.
Doing household chores as a child turns out to be a major predictor of whether an individual does volunteer or community work as an adult, according to sociologists, who note that housework is an important teaching tool. And when it comes to domestic bliss, the distribution of domestic duties—grounded in childhood chores—can make or break a marriage.
According to experts, children’s chores are declining in part because they’re spending more time on reading, studying, and other activities. But even their parental role models are doing less work around the house, hiring help instead or simply letting chores chill.
Within days of the news that chore times had dropped like the Dow, a new website called NannysCircle.com began promoting itself as a novel solution to motivating kids by making a “virtual” game of chores. Instead of nagging Junior to feed the dog, parents log on and send a virtual note, which their child retrieves from his virtual room. In real life, the child supposedly feeds the dog, then emails his parents that the task has been completed.
But success may come at the expense of another domestic chore: parent-child communication. “You see the appeal,” wrote a reporter about the website. “Parenting, a messy series of weary battles that never seem to lead anywhere, becomes something that can be checked off and filed. No back talk. Just hit ‘send.’”
Tell us what you think: Should children be responsible for doing more chores? Are chore-less children really responsible for failed marriages and fewer volunteers? As a responsible parent, would you turn over chore supervision to a computer?
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no
i hate the chorus it sucks so sstop making us do chours kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk I HATE CHORUS
lacey newsom | 4 months, 2 weeks ago
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agree with need for chores - not so much the virtu
I have a chore system that specifies ‘personal responsibility’ vs household responsibility chores and I am all for setting up a process by which children are held accountable. But while taking advantage of current technology is a good thing it should not replace children and parents having face to face interaction specifically related to household expectations.
responsiblemom09 | 4 months, 1 week ago
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there a limit..
i belive in chores but limit them with there age if there young make them help with laundry folding or matching socks not moawing a yard for goodness sake..the older they get the harder the chores but i do agree they get rewarded for them…pluse make a family night once a month were everybody plays games together so that your kid knows a family is important nit just work work no love or satisfaction…
helen malynn trees | 4 months ago
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HOW KIDS CAN DO CHORES
I THINK YOU SHOULD DO CHORES BY DOING ONE AT A TIME
JENNIFER RENEE DELARM | 3 months, 3 weeks ago
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ITS SO HARD
IM SO NOT READY 4 A CHILD RIGHT NOW ITS 2 EARLY :(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:((:(:(:(:(:(:(:((:(:(:(:(:(::((:(:(:(:(:(
KAYLA BUCKLEY | 3 months, 3 weeks ago
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KIDS
KIDS ARE AWESOME
treybhbnbghnghng | 3 months, 2 weeks ago
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chores YEAH
I definitely think kids should do chores according to their age and ability. When my oldest kid turned 3 her first chore was to feed the cats. She could do it and she enjoyed it. Which we added to them as she got older and more able.
She is a very good worker and very respectful. As our other kids are as well. They have learned to respect their toys and belongings. As well as others, which I think is very much needed now a days.
Chore believer | 3 months, 2 weeks ago
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I agree fully
I feel that all children should have to do chores. It bulids self confidents in being able to say” I did that” and “ Look what i did”. My daughter is 10 years old and has to clean her room and my son has to help take out the trash like a big boy.My son says to me that hes like his daddy when he gets to be a big boy and help do things like that. I know there is a extreme to curtain things as long as you don’t take it over board. My kids not only feel proud when they get things done but also when they do it well. I don’t have to say anything to them when they know they did it right because i am not later on having to redo it behind there backs. I feel kids now a days get to ride the coat tale of there parents and not have to do anythingat all and just have things handed over to them. I see it almost on a day to day basis. True enough not everyone does that but what does that teach young minds? I can get WHAT i WANT when i WANT IT? You have to think about what you say and how you say it to a child do to they can only handle curtain things and truely understand what you really want. All children in America do get a chose threw there parents so make the right chose and guide them well.
Audrey Feather | 3 months, 2 weeks ago
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Thats stupid
I think that kids shouldnt have 2 work not until there at least 9 or 10 because if you make them work 4 living with you and you taking care of your own child that you brought into this world then i strongly think that is child abuse and you shouldnt derserve 2 be a parent!!!!!!!!!
Kimberly Burge | 3 months ago
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No Time To Think
I think now in our daily lives parents have no time to teach chores or work ethics to their children because of what’s going on with the economy. They are out working, trying to put food on the table for their family and you know what? Good for them. But lately I have been seeing behaviourial problems from children. I think if parents would sit down and spend maybe 20 minutes with their child, tell them what’s going on in this world now and what the child could do to help, the child may try harder. I’m not 100% sure but it’s a theory of mine that I will try to use when I have kids. I would not leave them in the dark not tell them what’s going on because they may find out a different way and think that you were lying to them and that would cost unwelcome untrust which, especially now, not needed to complicate ones life.
Paxton Knies | 3 months ago
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