The division of homework from the point of view of the children
The housework they are a subject that generates a great debate within the home. Although everyone at home should lend a shoulder and assume responsibilities, sometimes these tasks are not shared out well. There is always someone, in most cases the woman, who assumes much of this burden without receiving great help from their relatives.
On this matter he has addressed the report on co-responsibility in the home prepared by the Alares Foundation. A work that has taken into account the opinion of the smallest of the house to see how the housework within the families in Spain and in which it is proven how the children have understood the need to collaborate in these tasks.
More than 65% believe in the equitable distribution of tasks
In this report, a total of 504 minors between 3 and 12 years old who were surveyed to check their vision of the distribution of tasks in the home. For this, they presented several cards in which images of different situations appeared, such as a mother taking charge of the tasks herself and vice versa, the children had to indicate which of these cards seemed correct.
To begin with, he emphasizes that 65,9% of minors considers fair distribution within the home correct. While there is this belief about what is fair within children, 40% of them consider that this is not the case in the case of their family. A fact that although it indicates that there is much to be done until total co-responsibility is achieved, it improves those of past years.
It is also noteworthy how in the case of children, the percentage of children who believe in co-responsibility is somewhat lower than that of girls, 60,4% for him 69,5% of the latter. At the time of focusing on specific cases, the percentage of children who believe that only one of the parents must take care of the work at home, although there is a greater number of children who believe that the mother is the one who should assume this responsibility In solitary.
In particular, a 26,2% of the minors surveyed considered as correct the image of the mother exercising alone the housework, only 7.76% considered fair the template in which the father was the one who took charge of these tasks without help from anyone. Again, children who think that women are the ones who have to take on more tasks are bigger than girls, 29.6% compared to 24.1%.
How to involve children in household chores
In order to achieve co-responsibility, children must be taught, from an early age, the need to take part in the housework. Here are some tips for this:
- Start little by little. While the youngest can not take on harder tasks such as cooking, they can start by helping to pick up the table, taking away the packaging of their sweets and picking up their toys after using them.
- Lead by example. Parents must show an equitable distribution of tasks and not show that one of the parents is the only one who assumes these tasks.
- Your room, your responsibility. While the nursery is a space of autonomy for children, it is also their responsibility. They are responsible for picking it up, making the bed and taking care that everything is in order.
- Praise the positive. Although we should not be grateful if the child collaborates, since it will seem like an aid that he would not have to lend, it is necessary to praise that the child is able to assume his responsibilities and reach this maturity to encourage him to continue.
Damián Montero
