Opinion: Whatever happened to kids doing chores?
Monday May 13, 2013, 5:15 PM
BY DEENA YELLIN
The Record
Meanwhile, the girls shop, party and ponder about the likelihood of meeting a man who will give them an even more entitled life. The best thing I can say about this show is that it wasn’t filmed in New Jersey.
But such shows perpetuate a false stereotype. Contrary to what reality television wants us to believe, most young people today are not dependent parasites who see work as a fearsome four-letter word. Hardly a week goes by when I don’t hear of some local teen who has done exemplary volunteer work, launched a business enterprise or campaigned for legislation to help others.
We need not look further than our own clothing to appreciate that of which children are capable. I’m not advocating sending our youngsters back to work in factories, but clearly, it wouldn’t hurt our kids to have them clean out the garage or help out in the kitchen every once in a while.
I admit that children may take longer to carry out household tasks and do them a tad less effectively than when we do them. There may even be a few howls of indignation as the chores are executed. And sometimes it just seems easier to complete the task ourselves.
But this is a valuable exercise, just as an internship or job training is essential for the long-term good. And someday – we pray it will be well before we have been dispatched to some nursing home in Piscataway — our offspring will make us proud by completing such domestic tasks competently on their own, without any nagging required.
https://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/yellin_051413.html?c=y&page=2
Kids these days!
that’s because mom and dad are to soft. I have my kid’s help out around the home. have them clean up behind them, I know at times it’s hard, they have home work sports.
help out end of the story.
Chores? This is Ridgewood. When they are younger they play lacrosse and soccer. When they get older they get a BMW. Work? chores? are you serious? This is Ridgewood not Ridgefield Park!
As a child of a preschooler I can tell you it is difficult to find a babysitter because the older kids in town have no interest and/or are so over scheduled they have no time to babysit. Kinda off topic but yes, if kids are playing multiple sports, dancing and studying for AP classes they have no time for chores around the house or babysitting in the neighborhood.
Who has time or chores when you are busy padding your resume with activities for your college application? The underprivileged can’t take care of themselves…they need our high school kids to volunteer in their soup kitchens and hospices as much as our kids need that stuff on their resume so they can get into good schools. Let the children of the underprivileged do our chores…lord knows they don’t stand a chance of getting into Harvard anyway!