Children Today Part 2

If you haven't read my post from a few days ago that was part 1, please read that first.

8. Chores-
"Boys and girls, if they are to be prepared for their own family life later, need to be familiar with the details of family routines. By the time they are 12 they should be putting up their own lunches, doing simple cooking, planning and carrying out projects like cleaning their own rooms. Children who live on farms have an advantage over city children. They may have first-hand experience in work by means of which millions of people earn their living. They care for stock, or even raise them, learn to use and repair machinery, and help get meals for threshers. The city boy's job of washing the family car, and his sister's practice in helping to serve at church suppers are examples of the less frequent work opportunities coming to urban children."    Your Child from 6 to 12 Children's Bureau Publication Number 324

I struggle with giving my Lambs appropriate chores. The Lambs are assigned to each clean their bathroom two days a week. They pitch in to help with dishes, assist to make meals, clean their bedroom and playroom, put their clothes away, help Ram with yard work, and chores like that. But besides their bathroom they don't have assigned chores. It usually turns out that on Ram's day off we all help to get lots done inside and outside our house.

My challenge is trying to find the happy medium between them doing chores that provide experiences that help them become self-reliant and useful and finding the time to supervise them doing most chores. Sometimes it is easier to just do the chores myself, but I know they need to learn how to do these chores and not have me do everything for them. I want them to learn how to contribute to our family and be useful to our family. We don't have pets or a large garden for them to help with.

I do try to have a good attitude about work. Sometimes I will make them a list of chores they need to complete and when they are finished with that list they are allowed to play the rest of the day. Sometimes I let them pick music to listen to while they do chores. Sometimes I work with them to all work together on a chore.

9. Learning to read and write-
This book strongly encouraged reading to and talking to children a lot, but leaving the rest of schooling to their teachers when they go to school. It encouraged parents not to worry if their children don't learn how to read in first grade and reminded parents that some children take much longer to learn to read.

Society doesn't allow parents to give children time to go at their own pace for academics any more. Some children really are ready to learn to read at age 6 and others aren't ready until age 10. Parents are expected to hire a tutor for their child if they can't keep up with academics for their age level. I think it would be good if we remember each child will go at their own pace.

10. Musical experience-
This book strongly encouraged listening to and discussing good music. Although it recommended piano lessons it reminded parents to not give their children so many scheduled activities that they don't have free time. I think many Americans today have shifted their focus on children's extracurricular activities away from music to sports.

11. Child illness-
The end of this book had a whole list of common childhood illnesses and how parents could help their children when they were ill. I praise God that most of the common illnesses in 1950 are now rare. Medical advances have also taught us how to better care for children with the childhood illnesses that are still common.

It was interesting to read this publication and see what the experts 65 years ago told parents about raising children.