‘Am I giving my children too many household chores?’

Christine (40) is married to Rabia (38) and mother of Phileine (10) and Milou (6).

“A strong girl is prepared for her future, they used to say. We live with only women, so our daughters know no better than to handle it themselves. No brawn or princes on white horses; my daughters see me with a hammer in hand and cry at me just as easily as they play with me.

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Chores

With those views in mind, my wife and I like to teach them independence as early as possible. Loading and unloading the dishwasher. Clean up your own rooms and if you haven’t done that, mop yourself. The dog has to go out and mow the grass. But when my youngest daughter recently discussed this with a friend, she called it child labour.

I don’t know any better than that as a child you just help with the household. My sister and I cleaned our own rooms from primary school, set the table and cleared it. When I was twelve I did my own laundry. The consequence of changing your outfit three times a day, my mother judged, and I agree posthumously.

All around me now I hear that nowhere children help in the house as much as mine. I don’t think I’m asking the impossible, we pamper our children so much already. Am I going too far in my expectations? And how harmful is that? How do other mothers do this?”

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