by Kidpreneurs 13 May 2021

So, maybe you don’t exactly agree that chores are awesome. Perhaps you’ve grumbled one too many times when your parents have asked you to take out the garbage or pull weeds. Maybe you’ve wondered why you need to do these chores anyways and what you are even really learning.

Well, you’re not alone if you’ve thought any of these things. Chores can sometimes be boring, hard, or even a little bit yucky. Because of this, chores seem to have gotten a negative reputation and we think that needs to change. Why?

There are so many reasons that chores actually add value to your life, help you learn life skills, and teach you how to be responsible. Additionally, doing chores actually helps those around you as well, which showcases empathy. 

What are Chores?

Chores are routine tasks that are performed in order to keep a household, business, or other environment running smoothly and effectively. By routine, we mean that these tasks are often performed on a schedule, such as daily, weekly, or even monthly. Chores help keep a place tidy, clean, organized, and safe for living. Additionally, in a family setting, chores ensure that not just one person is stuck doing all of the routine work needed around the house. This teaches collaboration, teamwork, resilience, problem-solving, and so much more. When you learn to do a household chore yourself, such as washing dishes, you then learn to become more independent and don’t have to always rely on someone else to do this task for you. 

Examples of routine chores in a household or business are:

• Doing laundry
• Taking out garbage and recycling
• Meal planning
• Dusting
• Vacuuming
• Sweeping
• Cleaning bathrooms
• Tidying up rooms
• Checking the mail
• Paying bills 
• Mowing the yard

You’ll notice that some chores take more time, effort, and skill than others. This is why often parents assign different chores to different children, as younger children can take on those chores that don’t require as much time or focused skills as others. But as you age and grow, it’s important to consider taking on chores that challenge your mind or body a little bit so that you can take advantage of everything chores have to teach you!  

Think about this: if you never learn (or are never asked) to do certain chores as a child, imagine how hard it will be when you move out on your own or go to college. Instead of struggling or potentially being embarrassed that you don’t know how to do something, you’ll be well-equipped to be independent and make your life run much more smoothly. 

Chores and Making Money

Some parents choose to assign chores to children with the understanding that they are simply something every person in the household is required to take on. Other parents may choose to allow their children to earn a bit of money as they complete chores. And some families even choose to combine both aspects when it comes to chores. There is no right or wrong and every family has different needs when it comes to the routine tasks needed to maintain a happy, healthy, safe home.

Just because you may not earn money for chores doesn’t mean that you should be irresponsible by not doing them. Remember that families rely on each other to lessen the workload around the house. So when you don’t take out the garage, it affects everyone with stinky smells, potential leaks and messes, and unsightly piles. Learning how to be a responsible, respectful person includes not letting others down when you have agreed or committed to a task, such as a chore.  

What are Some Chores that May be Part of a Business?

If you own your own business, chances are that chores will still be a part of your routine. That’s right, even a business owner has important chores and tasks that need to be tended to on a regular basis.  

Examples include:

• Checking and cleaning out your email inbox
• Packaging and shipping your products
• Accounting and bookkeeping (this means tracking your expenses, costs, profit, etc)
• Taxes (some are quarterly and others are yearly)
• Filing paperwork
• Tidying your office (if you have one)
• Scheduling social media posts

By committing to doing these chores, and taking the appropriate time and effort needed to focus on and complete them, your business has a much greater chance of succeeding and making you money. It also demonstrates that you care about your business and its customers. 

As you complete chores on a regular basis, you’ll notice you probably learn to do them more effectively and even more quickly. That’s part of the reward of doing chores is that you learn skills you never had before or improve ones you already do have. Soon, chores become something that you don’t even really complain about because, let’s face it, they actually make life so much easier.

A clean, safe, organized home or office helps you to keep your creative ideas flowing, allows you more focus, and gives you space to rest, play and create in a safe and enjoyable way. It shows your family, friends, and customers that you take pride in your home or your business and that you care enough about yourself and others to pitch in and get work done! Chores may not always be fun but they sure do pay off in the end.