School is out and kids are starting to enjoy their well-deserved summer break and their favorite summertime activities. Making chores a part of their activities throughout the summer can result in greater academic success next year in school. At Love and Logic, we believe that chores can be the key to instilling the love of learning, thus allowing children to reach their full academic potential.
There are several reasons that chores can support your child’s academic career. Chores teach children self-control, perseverance, and delayed gratification. They also provide their need for structure and limits. By expecting kids to be responsible for doing their chores, they develop the personal tools that will make schoolwork and homework seem easy for them.
You can lay the foundation for success in school next year by giving them the gift of chores. Anyone who knows kids knows that they want to be “big” like their parents. Great parents take advantage of this by making a big deal out of modeling the things they want their kids to do. When parents model something like chores, give their kids choices, and make a task fun, learning happens quickly.
Here are some steps for modeling chores:
- Make sure that your kids see you doing your chores and that you are working hard and even struggling to get them done.
- Make sure that they see you feel a sense of completion and accomplishment as well as how good you feel after the chores are done.
- Think out loud while you are working. Say things like, “This is hard, but I’ve got to do it, so I’m going to do it right now.” After it’s done, you can say, “It’s done! I feel great now that it’s done.”
It’s very important that your kids realize that you sometimes must work hard at something you don’t necessarily like. Covering up your struggle or saying that chores are fun, when they’re not, creates frustration and resentment within kids when they must struggle with their own chores. Be positive about doing your chores—but be honest about your struggles.
To help you learn more about the process for getting your kids to do chores this summer, listen to our audio, Chores: Why kids need them…and how to get even the most challenging ones to do them.
Thanks for reading!
