I’ve been considering assigning my kids more chores at home, but I want to understand how it might help with their social skills. Can doing chores actually improve their interactions with peers or their ability to work in teams? I’m really interested in hearing from other parents who have noticed these benefits.
My kids started helping with dishes and organizing toy bins when they were around 5 and 8, and I noticed they got better at sharing responsibilities during group projects at school.
What surprised me most was how they began taking turns more naturally with friends. When you’re used to waiting your turn to dry dishes or sort laundry at home, it seems to carry over to playground games and classroom activities.
The biggest change I saw was with my younger one who used to struggle with group activities. After a few months of regular chores, their teacher mentioned they were much better at cooperating during team assignments.
I think it’s because chores teach you that everyone has a part to play to get things done. My kids seem to understand now that working together makes everything easier, whether it’s cleaning up after dinner or building something with friends.
my 5 year old has been doing simple tasks like setting napkins on the table and putting dirty clothes in the hamper. I started noticing they offer to help their friends clean up at playdates now without me asking.
I’m curious though, do you think certain types of chores work better for building social skills? Like should I focus more on tasks they can do with others or individual ones?
Right now we’re still figuring out what works best for their age, but the helping behavior with friends has been a nice surprise.