Teaching your children to be empowered to help out at an early age is important. Starting at about age 7, most children are capable of handling simple tasks and responsibilities around the house. This not only helps children to learn important and necessary life skills, it also greatly increases their self-esteem and makes them feel capable. When we do everything for our kids and don’t not allow them to participate in our lives or share in the responsibilities of family life, we actually cheat them a little.

One of the greatest gifts you can ever give a child is a sense of their own capacity. While it is great to be a loving parent who caters to their child’s needs, too much caretaking can actually make a child feel incapable of doing things on their own and make the world seem too big or scary. Of course, we always need to match the task and responsibility with what is appropriate for the child’s age. Give them tasks that are safe and that they can succeed at. Our children really enjoy being given responsibility (even if they balk!)…it makes them feel good about themselves!

When families are stretched financially, it may not be possible to give an allowance for chores. If this is the case in your family, simply explain to your children that as they get older they get new responsibilities and that everyone in a family needs to pitch in…that’s part of what it is to be a family. Here are some healthy reasons to
empower your children to be a member of your household team:

1. It encourages them to be creative with their gifts and talents.

2. It will increase their self-esteem.

3. It will provide them with valuable life experience.

4. It will teach them to understand the meaning and value of money.

5. It is life-changing to learn that if you truly want something, you have the capacity
to find ways to earn and create it for yourself.

When our children know this, we can rest assured that they will be always be okay in the world.

Peace and Blessings!