Last week we had a snow day so kids had no school. When I talked to them the next day I asked if they had any chores like shoveling. All of them said no. Some said, “that is for adults”. I asked if they helped around the house in any way and some said they had to clean their rooms.

Parents, please give your child daily responsibilities! It gives them a sense of purpose and helps them understand that they contribute. They do not feel entitled to have other people do chores for them. They are also less likely to create a huge mess if know they have to take time to clean ot up.

Doing heavy work kinds of chores helps in other ways. It is good exercise, it builds coordination, core strength, balance, and muscles in the hands and arms. It puts pressure on the joints and muscles helping the child become aware of spacial orientation. The deep pressure of these tasks calms the nervous system. Noticing how their body feels outside in the cold helps with interoception . (The child’s awareness of how their body feels). If you have ever shoveled snow you know that odd feeling of sweating but having your hands and feet freezing cold.

They might even discover they like the feeling of running, jumping and crashing into the snow. All these deep pressure tasks help regulate the nervous system. It may have the added benefit of helping them get a good sleep.

If your child tells you they are board give them a short task to do, dust the baseboards, wipe off the counter, hang up 2 shirts. Etc. Doing tasks in short spurts is less daunting. And it is one less task the adults have to do.