Hi Guys,
Sorry I’ve been such a stranger.
I made some chore charts for my littles and I thought I’d share them with you (in case you have a 2 year old and a 3 year old in need of chores)!
I decided to make a chore chart for my kids because I read this Wall Street Journal Article.
This part of the article made me want to create an atmosphere of contribution and self sufficiency in my home:
“How kids develop moral responsibility is an area of focus for the researchers. Dr. Ochs, who began her career in far-off regions of the world studying the concept of “baby talk,” noticed that American children seemed relatively helpless compared with those in other cultures she and colleagues had observed. In those cultures, young children were expected to contribute substantially to the community, says Dr. Ochs. Children in Samoa serve food to their elders, waiting patiently in front of them before they eat, as shown in one video snippet. Another video clip shows a girl around 5 years of age in Peru’s Amazon region climbing a tall tree to harvest papaya, and helping haul logs thicker than her leg to stoke a fire. By contrast, the U.S. videos showed Los Angeles parents focusing more on the children, using simplified talk with them, doing most of the housework and intervening quickly when the kids had trouble completing a task.”
When all is said and done, I want to push my children out into the world with the knowledge that they need to contribute; that they are either taking or giving at any moment. Yes, life really is that raw.
What better way to start this than with a chore chart?! Ha! I’ll let you know how it goes.
So far, so good. Both of my kids seem really excited to be given the chance to help. Usually, I just do it myself because it is easier when they are this little. You know what I’m talking about. But, today I took the time to clearly state my expectations for each job and I let them have at it! They both surprised me with their abilities. I really do underestimate them!
Click on the images of the chore charts to get the printable pdfs.
