Building Respect

Use chores to boost your child’s self-respect, responsibility

Nothing builds a child’s self-respect more than being responsible and making decisions. And chores let your elementary-age child do both.

To make chores a positive learning experience for your child:

• Assign age-appropriate chores. Your child should be able to clean his room, feed a pet, set the table, fold laundry or vacuum.
• Show your child how you want the chores done. Give him step-by-step instructions.
• Be clear about when you want a chore done.
• Don’t criticize your child if a chore isn’t done perfectly. Compliment what he’s done well. Later, ask him to do part of the job he forgot.
• Never redo a chore your child has completed.
• Don’t nag to get your child to complete a chore. Instead, set a consequence for when a chore’s not done.
• Praise your child for effort and improvement.

Reprinted with permission from the November 2007 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2007 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: Joan Message Barbuto, The ABCs of Parenting: A Guide to Help Parents and Caretakers Handle Childrearing Problems, ISBN: 1-56875-062-5 (R&E Publishers, 408-866-6303).