It is not an uncommon phenomenon to see parents being protective toward their kids but many a time, this very tendency backfires resulting in lazy kids who would just not do their chores and be a little helper to you.

So, what is the age when you should start asking the kids for little jobs that they can do?
As early as 2 years of age, because that is the age wherein they can broadly understand your instructions and are happy to do jobs because they find them very challenging. Not only that, in case they are duly rewarded for their efforts, they are all the more motivated to do so. But then if you have made a habit to run around for your child all the time, be assured that they will never lift a finger to do anything.

What would you do if you find yourself in such a situation?
The art of independently doing jobs not come naturally, they have to be cultivated. After all why would the child want to make efforts for something that is easily available to him? After a certain age, parents expect their kids to pick up on certain traits which they are in no mood to do, and herein starts the problem. Then one is either faced with the option to just leave the child to fend for him so that he learns or else keep on doing jobs for their kids, as they did in the past.

Which course of action should one adopt?
In case one resorts to the first alternative, the parent needs to be very consistent. One day you want the child to do his or her own chores and admonish him for not doing so and the very next day, you start doing their chores as you used to do for them before; such an attitude will not do any good.

Generally in such cases parents wake up when a lot of water has flown under the bridge, and therefore one should start training their kids for little jobs which are in accordance with their age, as soon as possible. Once the lethargy sets in the child, it is very difficult for the parents to cope with it.

Never underestimate your child’s capabilities
It is important that one should never underestimate a child’s capabilities. All the kids are capable of carrying out jobs specific to their age; it is the duty of the parents to help them learn such skills. Kids do not learn anything automatically, they require guidance and good role models to see and follow the same.

What if the child is too rigid?
At times when the child gets too rigid, the parents tend to give in and do the same themselves. This tendency goes on to defeat the very purpose of making the child independent. One has to continue to be firm with the child so that he gets the message across and knows that he cannot just dilly dally. It is equally difficult for the parents to be strict with the kids who they have been pampering all this while, but it is in the interest of a child only that he learns to do activities that are in accordance with his age so that he does not suffer from behavioral problems later on.

Where should you start?
If your child is a complete non-doer then start with relatively easy tasks in the beginning and then move on to more difficult of the tasks. That ways you will not encounter mammoth rigidity. Doing small things in the beginning will give a sense of achievement to your child and he will be motivated to do more difficult of the jobs.

To help the kids to do their own work, make a chart of the “things to do” and paste it on their cupboard. That ways your child will know what to do. Do not be too much of a perfectionist and applaud the child even for the smallest of the efforts that he makes so that he feels motivated. Do not assume things; your child needs to be told and at times you even have to demonstrate the act that you are expecting him to do.