Figuring out the right amount of responsibility is a balancing act. Kids work very hard. Between schoolwork, learning to deal with social situations, and, for many kids, their many extracurricular involvements, kids have very little “down” time. They need a chance to play, relax, daydream, nap. At the same time, teaching children life skills (and I’m talking kids of both sexes here, by the way) has a number of benefits:
A person who enters college, or an independent living situation, with life skills will have a far easier time living with roommates. Family responsibilities teach basic discipline. The skills learned from having family responsibilities include time management, prioritizing tasks, and general organizational abilities. With family participation, the parents don’t have to slave their life away serving the royal offspring. Most importantly, the child understands that he is part of a community (your family) and that as a member of the community, he needs to share responsibilities to keep the community going.
