“They don’t know how to do anything: neither hammer in a nail, nor mend a hole, nor wash the dishes, nor repair a stool,” the parents complain. But they themselves are to blame.
– Give, I’ll do it myself, you just smear it, – Oksana grabs a rag from her four-year-old daughter, with which she is trying to wipe up the spilled soup.
“You don’t have to crawl under the arm,” Kirill grumbles with displeasure at his five-year-old son, who is trying to settle down next to his father’s set of screwdrivers. – As you grow up, I will teach you everything.
I give my head for cutting, it will not teach. And Oksana, in a couple of years, will begin to grumble that she has raised a parasite who will not hit a finger without a scandal. Because they both made a big mistake – they completely strangled the desire of their children to be helpers.
– I was never forced to do anything, – 35-year-old Inga already recalls this. – I’ll just get out of bed, she’s already made for me. We eat – the dishes are washed, I throw away the clothes – put away in the closet. I had to learn to cook when I was married.
For Inga, it is still torture to put things in order. Therefore, she teaches children to do housework from early childhood. And in the eyes of grandmothers she looks like a malicious mother when she forbids them to “serve” their grandchildren.
Psychologists and teachers assure that children can be taught to help as early as two years old, gradually adding responsibilities to them. Here is just a small list of what you can trust them at different ages.
2-3 years
– Remove toys
– At mom’s request, bring or take things away, for example, put dirty clothes in a basket
– Put your clothes on the right shelf
– Wipe up spilled water or soup
– Wipe dust
– Carry small, lightweight packages to your home or doorstep to the kitchen
– Vacuuming (my son just loved to run around the apartment with the humming “monster”)
4 − 5 years
– Take care of your pet – pour water, feed it
– Take care of plants
– Make your bed
– Disassemble the dishwasher, at least partially – cutlery and shatterproof items
– Put things in the washing machine
– Make a simple breakfast: pour milk over the cereal or make a sandwich with pre-cut ingredients
– Disassemble packages brought from the store
– Help dad with minor household repairs
6 − 7 years
– Set the table
– Sort clothes after washing
– Help mom carry shopping home
– Iron (under adult supervision)
– Completely fold or disassemble the dishwasher
– Cut vegetables, sausages and other simple products (under adult supervision)
8 − 9 years
– Handle the stove
– Walk the dog
– Go to the store for small purchases
– Look after your little brother or sister for a short time
Это важно!
– In no case should you start in an ultimatum, but in a playful way.
– At the age of six, you can officially assign certain responsibilities to a child that only he performs. For example, cleaning toys, caring for a flower. But it is important to present it correctly. It’s one thing when it’s a boring routine. Another is when “I can only rely on you in this difficult task. Do not let me down!”.
At the same time, if he asks for help, you can sometimes help him. Otherwise, he will quite logically refuse if asked to help you.
– Do not dismiss the child if he himself offers you help. Yes, you will probably have to redo everything after that. But this is work for the future. Be patient.
– Do not scold if something did not work out. He poured a lot of excess water, put dishes in the wrong place, broke something.
– Don’t pay for your homework, but don’t punish it either. And, of course, don’t encourage cancellation. Behavior – behavior, and duties have not been canceled. The exception is when your whole family arrange for yourself a “holy lazy day” on the condition that you must do all the work after the rest.
– Lead by example. Lazy parents rarely have hardworking children.