Mom Shares Why She Makes Her 2-Year-Old Son Do Chores, Sparking Debate
Oksana Kuzmina | Shutterstock Alexia Delarosa shared on TikTok that she bought some cleaning supplies, claiming that they were toys for her 2-year-old son, but received a lot of criticism from internet users. Apparently, people thought her lesson was missing its mark.
Teaching your children about gender equality while giving them life skills, such as the importance of chores and household contributions, is an important parenting lesson. Teaching her son from a young age that cooking and cleaning aren't just tasks women should do shows that she wants her son to be a well-rounded and caring individual, but like all things internet, some people didn't like it.
A mom said she bought her son cleaning toys and dolls to teach him that chores aren’t just for girls.
Tomsickova Tatyana | Shutterstock
Aside from just teaching her son to clean, Delarosa said it was important for her son to get used to doing tasks that were traditionally assigned to women.
Her video showed glimpses of several toys she bought for the toddler. One was a mini cleaning set which included a mop, a broom, and a dustpan. Other toys included a vacuum cleaner, wooden food to practice cooking and cutting, and a baby doll.
She wrote in a caption, “Toys I have for my son so he knows that housework, cooking, and taking care of babies isn’t just for girls.”
Delarosa was emphasizing that house chores and caring for kids are responsibilities everyone has, regardless of gender. Anyone would think that her parenting choice would be a good way to raise children and teach them about gender equality, but people seemed to have a problem with it. In the video's caption, the Delarosa mentioned that critics had issues with the toys, especially the baby doll.
Critics thought it was weird for the mother to buy those toys for her toddler son.
Many people were against the mother's decision to let her 2-year-old son play with the toys. People thought babies were too young to learn about adult ways and argued that the 2-year-old kid was still too young to help out around the house.
“[To be honest] this shouldn’t be a [thing] with girls or boys, it just is a [little] weird,” one user wrote, “like giving children (boy or girl) toys that mimic adult chores, work, childcare, etc, you know it kinda rubs me the wrong way.”
The commenter clarified that it’s alright for the kids to help out with the house chores, but they shouldn’t feel like they need to do it. After reading similar comments, Delarosa felt that she needed to speak up.
The mother posted a follow-up video with her sons using the toys.
The follow-up video showed Delarosa's kids playing with their toys. The toddler is clearly having a blast using the mini vacuum cleaner.
Delarosa's young son was also seen doing chores like the laundry, feeding his younger sibling, and helping out with cooking. He was clearly enjoying himself and even took the initiative to help out.
Delarosa also added the caption, “Kids love mimicking their parents.” She also mentioned in the comments section that her son usually helps clear the table after dinner.
Delarosa is absolutely right. Kids at that age love to mimic their parents because they are learning. Shooing them away to play to make your own life easier doesn't do them any favors. In fact, a 2013 study found that when children were given the choice between pretending to do a task, like helping with dinner or vacuuming, or doing it for real, most kids preferred to do it for real. Their reason: they wanted to actually help. Helping mom and dad with chores or household tasks gives kids a sense of accomplishment as well as teaches them how to fend for themselves.
Delarosa added in her update that she hopes to raise her children the right way, writing, “We're raising helpful, responsible people.”
Thankfully, most people felt the video was heartwarming. One user wrote, "It’s never too young to start. Mine was 1 also when he started. Good job mama." People commended the mother for her decision and let her know that she is doing the right thing.
Sanika Nalgirkar is a writer based in Seattle. She has a master's degree in Creative Writing and specializes in relationships, entertainment, and human interest topics.
