Building a Better World

One Pair of Socks at a Time

By Kristine Berggren

In addition to the basics – keeping kids safe, fed, clothed, educated and entertained – most parents try to nurture children to become independent and responsible community members. If parents expect kids to pitch in with household work, they instill good values about work and responsibility. In fact, maybe letting your toddler make a sandwich or fold socks is the first building block of a better world.

Creating a family life in which children learn to care for self and surroundings often takes extra time, planning and patience. Start young. Surprisingly, even toddlers and preschoolers enjoy being asked to help out with small tasks. To foster a very young child's independence, think kid-scale. For example, you might install hooks for outerwear, storage cubbies and mirrors at your child's level (or at least provide an easily movable stool). You could also buy pint-size but functional tools like mops, brooms and gardening equipment.

Breaking down tasks into small parts is key. For example, ask your child to concentrate on the sink and the toilet bowl while you tend to the tub and the mirror. Be ready to explain and model how to do the job right and keep your expectations reasonable.

After you've taught your child how to do various self-care and household tasks, let him or her do as much as possible independently. Encourage your child to ask for help if necessary. But if your child misses a blob of jelly on the table or buttons a shirt lopsided, so what? He or she is probably very proud of the accomplishment, and hasty criticism from beloved Mom or Dad might cause shame or even anger. Small successes – however imperfect – breed confidence.

Make housework a whole-family activity. Some families set aside a couple of hours, often on weekends, for cleaning together. Others make job charts stating each member's responsibility, and tasks are rotated weekly or monthly. And the Seven Dwarves had one thing right: If you whistle (or listen to tunes) while you work, everyone's more cheerful about doing chores.

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