Millennial Man’s List Of Childhood Chores Sparks Debate Over What Parents Should Reasonably Expect From Their Kids
Sergey Novikov | Shutterstock For people from older generations, childhood chores were a lot more intense than what most kids are expected to contribute today. Of course, some say kids today should be doing much more, and others insist that what was expected of kids back in the day was unreasonable.
A millennial man named Carl Randolph recently shared the list of chores he had to complete as a kid in a post on Instagram Threads. The extensive list encompassed tasks he was expected to do before and after school, every single day of the week, which sparked a conversation about the expectations kids have nowadays for their chores and responsibilities.
Man's list of childhood chores sparks debate over what parents should reasonably expect from their kids.
In the list that Randolph shared, he explained that his dad had him doing chores from the age of 8. While he acknowledged that his dad was a great parent, there were almost too many rules and requirements in his house when he was growing up.
Randolph was expected to make his bed, eat breakfast, check his homework over to make sure it was neat and complete, and eventually leave home for school before 6:50 a.m. Once Randolph came home from school, was expected to notify his dad that he was home safe and then immediately change out of his school clothes and put them in the hamper to be washed.
Once all of that was complete, Randolph had to do all of his homework, have it checked, eat dinner by a certain time, be inside the house by 9 p.m. during school nights, leave zero dirty dishes in the sink, empty all of the trash in the kitchen, and eventually head to bed before 10 p.m.
On the weekends, Randolph was expected to do chores around the house.
Randolph had separate obligations on the weekends, like doing laundry, folding all the clothes, and putting them away. The weekends cycled through the 4 weeks of a month, so that each weekend had a different set of chores. He had tasks that ranged from cleaning the bathroom thoroughly to dusting and even washing down the front and back of the house.
In the comments section of Randolph's post, people were quite impressed that he had all these responsibilities as a child and even praised his dad for having this kind of structure in place when he was growing up.
Many people pointed out that the chores were laid out precisely, and there was never confusion about what needed to be done. It was clear that Randolph's dad was setting him up for success as an adult. It's also clear that he expected a lot from his son. He had grown-up responsibilities that many kids today don't.
Not all the comments were glowing, however, and many argued that kids should have chores, but they should also just be kids. Obviously, however, Randolph grew up appreciative of the life lessons his dad taught him through contributing to the household, so maybe that's what's most important.
What's alarming, however, is that the most recent study data shows that while 86% of parents had household chore responsibilities, only 28% of parents expect the same from their kids, and apparently, it's not doing them any favors.
The key to raising successful children is chores.
PeopleImages | Shutterstock
As part of the 85-year (and counting) multigenerational Harvard University study, researchers evaluated the backgrounds of over 700 "high achievers" and found a strong connection between doing household chores and later professional success.
Kids who felt involved in shared responsibilities growing up and felt like they were part of a larger "ecosystem" developed a greater sense of self-worth. They were also able to see the needs of people around them and, therefore, were more willing to help others.
Experts recommend that parents start early when it comes to delegating chores to their kids. The sooner it starts, the easier it becomes to create a routine.
Kids' chores should also be consistent, and, of course, it's important for parents not to expect perfection, considering they are still children at the end of the day. Above all else, parents should be specific about the kinds of chores they want their kids to do, as Randolph's dad clearly was. Doing all of that ensures your kids are growing into capable adults.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
