46 min listen
Ask Margaret: Should I Help My Kids with Things I Know They Can Do Themselves?
FromWhat Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms
Ask Margaret: Should I Help My Kids with Things I Know They Can Do Themselves?
FromWhat Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms
ratings:
Length:
8 minutes
Released:
Nov 28, 2022
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
Does your kid ask you to make their breakfast or do their laundry despite the fact that they know how to do these things? Where's the line between lending them a hand and waiting on them hand and foot?
Listener Lindsay asks:
"Talk to me about how you field requests from your kids to “help them” with things they’re old enough to do themselves. Like my 12 year old’s constant requests to make her breakfast, or my 6 year old who will often ask me to go fetch things for her that she forgot elsewhere in the house. I will often decline and tell them that they can do these things themselves… but then I wonder — couldn’t they say the same thing to me when I ask them for help? They’re always very willing to help me when I ask, and I know they are probably looking at these requests of me in the same light. How do I reciprocate their willingness to help me without teaching them learned helplessness? "
There's no hard-and-fast rule for how much your kids should be doing around the house. As long as you contextualize the scenarios where you help for your kids, there's no harm in sometimes doing things for them if they're bogged down with homework or having a rough day.
Links!
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia blog: "Chores and Kids: How Much Should You Expect?"
Special thanks to our sponsor, Pampers:
For trusted protection, choose Pampers, the #1 Pediatrician Recommended Brand. Download the Pampers Club App today to start earning rewards with every diaper & wipes purchase.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Listener Lindsay asks:
"Talk to me about how you field requests from your kids to “help them” with things they’re old enough to do themselves. Like my 12 year old’s constant requests to make her breakfast, or my 6 year old who will often ask me to go fetch things for her that she forgot elsewhere in the house. I will often decline and tell them that they can do these things themselves… but then I wonder — couldn’t they say the same thing to me when I ask them for help? They’re always very willing to help me when I ask, and I know they are probably looking at these requests of me in the same light. How do I reciprocate their willingness to help me without teaching them learned helplessness? "
There's no hard-and-fast rule for how much your kids should be doing around the house. As long as you contextualize the scenarios where you help for your kids, there's no harm in sometimes doing things for them if they're bogged down with homework or having a rough day.
Links!
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia blog: "Chores and Kids: How Much Should You Expect?"
Special thanks to our sponsor, Pampers:
For trusted protection, choose Pampers, the #1 Pediatrician Recommended Brand. Download the Pampers Club App today to start earning rewards with every diaper & wipes purchase.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Released:
Nov 28, 2022
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (100)
Birth Order- Parenting Each Child Best (More or Less): The study of birth order— how one’s placement amongst siblings can shape one’s personality— began in 1874, when Charles Darwin’s cousin noticed that eldest sons were overrepresented as members of the Royal Society. In other words, by What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms