
Kathryn Swegart maintains the importance of teaching children to help with chores to nurture their growth into responsible adulthood.
It had been a cold spring in northern New England. Unexpectedly, our dairy goat gave birth to twins, earlier than we had thought. That created a stir of excitement as we rushed to see the newborn kids. Sadly, one of the kids lay on the ground, weak from hypothermia. The prognosis looked dire. I was ready to dig a grave.
“No, Mom, I’m taking her inside,” my teenage son said.
Late into the night, John sat by the woodstove and patiently tried to feed milk to the weakling, using a medicine dropper. Each time milk dribbled to the floor.
I shook my head at the sorry sight. “I’m going to bed. How about you?”
He rubbed the fur with a towel. “No, I’m going to keep trying.”
Helping our children develop a good work ethic
This story teaches an important lesson. John and his siblings were raised on a small farm and learned to do simple chores, both in the garden and in the dairy barn. They picked bugs off potato plants, collected eggs from the chicken house, and helped with the weeding. They also washed dishes, made bread, and even helped with simple carpentry jobs.
Our move from the suburbs to rural Maine was the brainchild of my husband who grew up on a dairy farm. He felt it important for our children to develop a work ethic. Little did we know that child psychologists would prove him right.
Why is it important for children to help with chores around the house?
Here is what pediatrician and mother of four children Dr. Shelly Vaziri Flais has to say.
Chores can and should start early. Begun in preschool years, sharing in the work of home chores becomes a lifelong habit and normalizes teamwork in maintaining a home. Boys and girls who help with daily tasks get a boost in self-esteem, take pride in a job well done, and grow into young men and women who are equal stakeholders in the unpaid labor of running a home. (PsychologyToday.com)
You don't have to live on a farm to involve kids in chores
Of course, most families don’t live on a farm. Still, there are plenty of chores to be done around the house. Children can learn to make their beds, sweep floors, wash dishes, even vacuum and dust furniture. It is important to make chores age appropriate. Younger children can put water or food in the dog or cat bowl. Consider allowing your kids to walk or brush the dog. Often, older children in large families can help with childcare. Involve children of all ages in meal preparation, thus teaching them important life skills.
Chores can also teach children to think of others, helping in a true spirit of Christian charity. They also will learn to take responsibility for themselves (and baby goats), helping them to grow into responsible adults.
You may wonder what happened to that kid goat that seemed to be dying by the woodstove. Here is the rest of the story.
I arose early the next morning and saw a large cardboard box sitting on the kitchen floor. My expectation was that I would see the lifeless body of the little lop-eared animal. Suddenly, the box moved. I looked inside. A healthy Nubian baby goat stared at me with bright eyes and cocked her head, waiting for her next drink of milk.
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Copyright 2024 Kathryn Swegart
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About the Author

Kathryn Swegart
Kathryn Griffin Swegart is an award-winning author of Catholic books for children. Kathryn and her husband raised three children on a small farm in rural Maine. She is a professed member of the Secular Franciscan Order and contributor to Magnificat. Visit her website at KathrynSwegart.com.
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