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“Sometimes we are moms who do too much because we have children who do too little. Make it your goal to work yourself out of a job. If a child can use a cell phone, they can run a washing machine.” – Unknown
It’s very common to see a mother multitasking between caring for her kids, cooking, cleaning, doing the dishes, folding the laundry and keeping her home organized and functional. And for a working mother, whether working from home or office, these tasks seems double. When I read the word ‘Multitasking’, I often think that the ‘M’ is put there for a MOTHER!
If a mother had to make a resume for herself, she wouldn’t even have to mention ‘Multitasking’ in her skill set. It’s just something that comes naturally to you, the day you become a mother.
It’s been a Hard Time for Most Moms
The pandemic has taken a huge toll on so many mothers’ health – physically, mentally and emotionally. Losing loved ones, job cuts, financial crisis, families separated, lack of medical support, schools suspended, etc. – we have seen it all and more in the past two years. Additionally, with the entire family being home 24/7, home chores seemed to have scaled new heights for all mothers. Also, mothers working from home seemed to clock in for 24 hour shifts, without being able to clock out.
The past two years have taught us numerous things – patience, resilience, the importance of good health and self-care, the value of a simple meal, the respect for basic necessities, the need to reach out to loved ones and ask for help and more. It has also taught most mothers one very important lesson – to make our children self-reliant from a young age and not wait until they are older. Yes, we NEED to start them young!
Starting the Kids Young
Getting kids to help with chores around the house is a great way to instill in them discipline and time management; it also teaches them to be self-sufficient, independent and supportive. Training kids to do their own chores and help with chores around the house should start when they are young. Most parents make the mistake of waiting until the kids are older; by then kids have their own personalities, mood swings and other adolescent problems.
If you’re a mom guilty of doing too much because your kids do too little, remember, it’s never too late to get your kids to start with doing their own chores at the least.
Getting the Kids to become Mom’s Assistants
Start off with some easy and doable chores for young kids like
- Get them to put their toys back in place
- Teach them to put their dirty clothes/uniform in the laundry basket
- Get them to wash their own plate or cup
- Get them to put their shoes in the shoe rack
- Train them to make their own simple breakfast – cereal with milk, peanut butter sandwich, cheese sandwich, Nutella sandwich, fruit salad
Getting kids to do their own work will increase their self-confidence; every task completed will feel like an accomplishment and they will take pride in doing other tasks assigned to them.
Training Mom’s not-so-little Helpers
Once the kids have achieved the feat of doing their own chores, they can move on to assisting their parents in
- Tidying up the room and making their bed
- Folding their own laundry
- Organizing their wardrobe/closet
- Gardening – mowing, trimming the grass, watering the plants
- Cleaning – sweeping, moping, vacuuming, doing the dishes
- Carrying the groceries
Chores for older kids to do with or without adult supervision
- Cook breakfast – eggs, pancakes, crepes, grilled sandwiches, etc.
- Make milkshakes, smoothies and breakfast bowls
- Assist with meal preps – chop veggies for salad or stir-fry, shape meatballs or cutlets, prepare marinades or dressings
- Assist in baking cookies, cupcakes, brownies, etc.
While training kids to help around the house, parents can pick and choose from various chores, as they best know and understand the nature and ability of their child.
A 5-year-old may be able to make his own bed, while another may be able to make himself a sandwich. Chores mustn’t be assigned to kids to make them feel competitive. Kids must be given tasks to do around the house with the intention of making them independent and teaching them to be supportive to their family.
Remember, a responsible child always grows up to become a self-sufficient and pro-active adult.
And as a bonus, mommy get some FREE-time or ME-time too!
