Believe me, I've heard every excuse or reason why a kid shouldn't have to do housework. Our older kids' favorite rationale as to why they shouldn't have to do housework is that they already KNOW how to do it. They must think that housework is done just to teach the skill and then it stops. My answer to all the "reasons" and excuses that I hear is a definite "NO EXCEPTIONS".

Young, as well as older children need to help at home. Home is the training ground to prepare your child for life. If children are unaccustomed to clean, orderly surroundings they will feel comfortable in the same sort of surroundings when they are grown and move from your home. If you just have small children and you think that you have plenty of time to change your lifestyle, . . . you're wrong!!

It is surprising how fast the years roll along and before you know it, your children are grown. There definitely isn't enough time to put off teaching your children to do for themselves. One of our sons just moved out, not too long ago. The apartment that he moved into was nice, but the kid who had occupied it previously didn't keep things clean. The first thing, our son did was search out a good cleaner. He bought it and got the bathroom clean. He called me to let me know that I should go to the 99-cent Store and get this cleaner, because it worked well. This was not a topic of conversation that I expected to have with him. His room was always a mess when he lived at home and I was always getting after him. The fact was that he was used to living in clean surroundings; things didn't feel right to him with the filth. On his own, he took care of the problem.

Another reason to require kids to help is that it teaches responsibility for oneself, and a sense of belonging in the family. If a child knows that the family is depending on them to accomplish a task, they feel a greater degree of self-value. When they complete a task, they feel the satisfaction that they can do even the difficult things. They will also look at mom and dad as more than just the "maid" and/or "provider". A sense of service and giving is more likely to be felt by the family. Without the participation of all the family it's easy, especially for MOM, to get caught in the trap of feeling like she's being taken advantage of and not appreciated.

I have noticed that, as my children have gotten older and have gotten jobs outside of the home, they are better equipped to do the job well. The kids who have reached the working age have always been the best workers where they work because they have already experienced and know how to accomplish tasks. I have spoken with different employers of my children. They have always commented on the good, complete job they do while working for them. I take this as a compliment to me and their father, because we took the time to teach them to work in our home.

I know some parents look at housework and helping around the house as a punishment. They feel guilty because they think they must not be doing a good job as a parent to require their children to have to help with things they feel are parental responsibility. They end up working themselves to death and don't have the time then to spend with their children. Or they may just give up and decide that "the children come first" and let the house go. What does this teach children? I remember as child the times that my family worked together on things around the house. I cherish these memories. My parents taught us to work and I am very glad for that gift from them. We washed walls, canned fruit, cleaned the house, worked in the yard together. We want to give that gift to our children. We now look at our own children and are very glad that we are giving them the opportunity to grow and learn something that they will need to do all of their lives.

We are giving our children greater self esteem, worthwhile knowledge and application of many life skills; a sense of service to family and the memories of working with their family. We are giving our children a legacy of love by allowing them to participate in all aspects of family life.

Give your children this legacy too.