“Do you ask your son or daughter to wash his or her own plate after the meals?” If you pose this question to mothers, the response will be the same: “Oh no! He is too small to do such things!” Most parents pamper their children so much to the extent that they do not let them do the smallest of tasks. This is not right. Children should be asked to perform minor tasks according to their age. They should be given training. For example, removing the plates from the table after the meals and washing them. They may not be perfect from the very first instance. But, by doing and redoing, they will learn to perform such tasks well. Children should be asked to do the chores such as cleaning the dining table, brooming the floor, folding the washed and dried clothes etc.
Like wise, if there are elderly people in the house, you should ask your children to wash their plates as well. These little acts of service will train them to be kind to elderly people when they grow up. Remember that, in our times, elderly people are ill-treated in many homes.
Once, I happened to have a glimpse of the bedroom of a house by chance. There I saw huddled up blankets and wrinkled bed sheets. It was already afternoon. As I enjoyed a certain amount of freedom in that house, I asked the nine year old kid of that house: Is this the way you keep blankets after the sleep? His reply stunned me. He said: My mother never folds the blankets!
We must understand one thing: the examples parents give to their children have a big role to play in their personal discipline. When we wake up from the sleep in the morning, we must fold the blankets and ask our children to do the same. Years ago, one of my elderly colleagues disclosed to me that even now his wife is folding his blankets. If we are imposing such personal tasks on our spouses even now, it is because we have not practised to do so when we were children.
There should not be any discrimination between your daughter and son in assigning the chores in the house. In olden days, mothers who forced their daughters to do the chores in the house assuming that they need to practice it as they are to be given in marriage, never allowed their sons to enter into the kitchen. In those days, the general notion was that boys and men should never cook and clean the house. But, the world has changed and the practices too. Today, in many houses, men do tasks in the kitchen, especially if both the couple are working. In such circumstances, man cannot keep himself away from the responsibilities. I have come across many men whose culinary skills excel those of female folk.
But, man will not be able to adapt with the tasks in the kitchen in an instance. For that, mothers need to train them when they are still boys. Allot them minor tasks like peeling vegetables and mincing meat. The mothers must also supervise them while they are doing the tasks. They should also be patient and tolerant with the kids. Short tempered mothers will not succeed in training their children. Children will be enthusiastic to do kitchen chores only if they feel that those tasks are enjoyable. If the mother has a habit of murmuring when she cooks food for her husband, children and elderly parents, naturally, the children will not love doing kitchen chores. They will begin to think that doing kitchen chores is a menial task.
Parents should encourage their children with positive words when they do household tasks. I recall my childhood experience at this juncture. During the time of Onam (a South Indian festival), my father used to entrust us with the task of cleaning the house and its surroundings. He used to reward us with some pennies when we completed the tasks well. I started performing minor chores like washing my plate, washing and ironing my clothes etc from the time I was a seventh standard student. I still continue those good practices even now. This childhood training has helped me a lot when I had to stay alone in lodges in connection with my job. Nevertheless, I still don’t know the art of cooking, which I think is a real wanting!
