Why You Want to Let Your Kids Do “Chores”
Why is your child sweeping the floor? Why don't you let her play instead of doing chores? You might have heard this or a similar question from concerned relatives or friends. First of all, let's clear things up. Activities such as sweeping, doing dishes, baking, or cooking aren't called chores in Montessori classrooms. They are considered practical life activities. Let’s look at the reason why this distinction is important.
A chore is defined as a routine task, especially a household one. It's usually something adults don't want to do. For instance, tackling the mountain of dishes after dinner every night.
Practical life activities are all everyday tasks that are part of our lives. These activities help your child take care of himself and his environment. Children are naturally drawn to these activities. They don't view them as chores; they want to do what they see us doing. They find meaning in these everyday activities.
When Emma was 14 months old, she started showing interest in cleaning. One day, I left a dustpan and a brush outside on the patio. I went inside to grab a garbage bin. When I came back, she was holding the dustpan and the brush and was trying to sweep.
The minute we stop seeing these everyday tasks as chores, we'll see all the benefits they offer. Let's look at a few of them.
Benefits of Practical Life activities
Control and coordination
Practical life activities refine your child's gross and fine motor skills. Your child's coordination improves, and she gains more control over her body. Baking is one of the most beneficial practical life activities you can offer to your child. For instance, when your child is mixing dough, she strengthens her hand and wrist. These movements are indirectly preparing her hand for writing.
Related reading: 6 Reasons to Include Your Toddler in Cooking Activities
Practical life activities also support the integration of mind and body. Both the mind and the body are present while working on a practical life task. In other words, the mind is not wandering somewhere else.
Focus and concentration
If you want to learn something new, you need to concentrate. Practical life helps your child to develop a focus that leads to concentration.
Are you a parent with a child who has just started a Montessori program? You might be confused seeing your child mopping floors or watering plants. "Why am I paying so much money for my child to be cleaning the classroom?" some parents ask. And that's when you know that practical life activities are misunderstood. To do more academic work such as writing or reading, your child needs to be able to concentrate for a longer period. And that's what practical life does. It develops the ability to concentrate on more challenging work.
Development of memory
Your child needs to remember the sequence of each practical life activity. For instance, when watering plants. He needs to remember to put on his apron first before getting the watering can and filling it with water. He needs to know what plans to water and remember how to put the activity away. Each practical life activity has several steps the child needs to remember.
Development of logical thinking
Problem-solving is part of practical life activities. For example, when your child spills water during cleaning windows, she has to come up with a solution. In this case, she might remember where the towels are and use them to clean up the floor. Or she decides to mop the floor.
Self-confidence
Practical life activities help your child to gain self-confidence. As they take care of themselves and their environment; they will see themselves as a competent contributing member of the family. All this will have a positive impact on their mental health.
Do you let your kids participate in practical life activities? Which ones are their favorite? Please share them in the comments.
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