Teenagers need to be doing chores around the house not only to help the family but to prepare them for the years ahead in college when they will have to fend for themselves. Regardless of their busy lifestyles, you are not helping your teenager by allowing them to be lazy or ignorant of the household chores.
Teenagers need to be doing chores around the house not only to help the family but to prepare them for the years ahead in college when they will have to fend for themselves. Regardless of their busy lifestyles, you are not helping your teenager by allowing them to be lazy or ignorant of the household chores. Once your teenager learns to do a few bits around the house they will be well prepared for college and adulthood. The years fly by so these are some of the chores your teenager should be doing:
- Preparing and cooking dinners. This is probably the most vital lesson of all as your teenager needs to know how to cook meals and know about the importance of healthy eating. To start, set them daily goals with simple prep exercises by chopping vegetables, meat and adding spices or flavourings to dishes. Give them a good cookbook, insist they cook dinner at least once a week and if they are on holidays get them to do it more often. This isn’t taking advantage and, assist them but stop short of taking over. Cooking is an essential skill and living off noodles is not a viable option for college.
- Washing the clothes. Teenagers need clean clothes and as they grow older that will never change. All teenagers need to know how to wash their clothes and how to separate items while understanding care labels. Offer them help and teach them the best way to manage piles of clothes or how to sort laundry piles.
- Ironing. Start your teenager off by letting them iron their own clothes for school each week including the shirts, so they know the basics. Fast forward a few years and you may have a teen that doesn’t know how to iron a suit for an interview so again it is a vital skill. If they get good encourage them to iron the family ironing pile and offer an incentive like a few euros! It always helps!
- Minding their siblings. Younger siblings may need care and your teenager (if they are 16 or so and responsible) should be able to care for them while you do something outside the house. It shouldn’t be the case that you cannot trust your teenager and showing them to be responsible is vital.
- Hoovering and mopping. The hoover is not a monster and though your teenager may seem unable to use one, yet they can use several technological devices! The hoover is one of the easiest jobs so let your teenager take over the weekly hoovering duties to help the family with the list of chores. The same goes for mopping it is simple – get the mop bucket, fill it with water and a cleaning solution before dumping the mop in and squeezing it out. Next is applying it to the floor and it really is easy.
- Garden maintenance. Most teenagers can help weed the garden and clean off the patios. Teenagers should be able to clean the windows and take an interest in planting flowers and plants. In fact, it can be therapeutic!
Don’t let your teenager guilt trip you into letting them do nothing as you aren’t doing them any favours at all.
Written by Emma Hayes staff writer at FFHQ who also blogs at www.emmamadjotters.com.
