2. Kids Need to Do It Their Damn Selves
Things may go more smoothly when we continue to wait on our little Lords and Ladies Fauntleroy hand-and-foot. But by denying them opportunities to rise to the tasks for which they are developmentally ready, you create roadblocks to their future independence.
- You'll do anything to stop the whining, negotiating, and nagging — including putting yourself into indentured servitude.
- Because you never make/let the kids do sh*t themselves, you think of them as babies who are incapable of doing sh*t, and so you continue to not let them do sh*t.
- Even if your kids are theoretically willing and able to put away their laundry, make lunch, or drain the transmission fluid, you probably feel like it would take more time and effort to teach them than to do it yourself. This is true, but it's your job to teach them. Sorry about all that lost time.
What You Can Do With This
- Children should have had some experience with every aspect of managing a household and a life; from health and hygiene to paying bills by the time they leave home.
- Teach your kids — and expect them to carry out — age-appropriate ways to contribute to the family every day, including self-care, housework, schoolwork, and relationships.
Age-appropriate tasks can include:
- 2-3 years old: Wipe down kitchen surfaces, carry mail, pick up toys, set table
- 3-5 years old: Wake up with alarm clock, fold towels and washcloths, water plants, help sweep floors
- 6-8 years old: Wash dishes, prepare simple dishes , change bedsheets, pack own school lunch, pull weeds, put away groceries
