Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn away from it." Proverbs 22:6
When I was young, my mother took care of EVERYTHING! I did not have to make my bed, clean my room, or help around the house. My mom had it all under control. Sounds pretty sweet, right?
WRONG! The end result of doing no housekeeping as a child was being clueless once I went out on my own. I vividly remember calling my mom when I moved into my first place to ask how to cook something… A BOILED EGG!!!!
In my mother's defense, she had grown up dirt poor and had to work like a slave. She wanted better for her children. She wanted to provide them with the childhood she had missed out on herself. In hind sight, she realized that going to the other extreme was a massive mistake.
Perhaps this was a result of baby boomers taking a different parenting approach, as many of my friends have expressed similar experiences. I had a friend who actually tried to bake a meatloaf in Tupperware when she first moved out and got married. She followed her mother's recipe, but it said nothing of a METAL loaf pan. If you have never cooked, there is much to be taken for granted.
Now that I have my own child, I have vowed not to go down the same path! There is a happy middle ground to be followed. Your child shouldn't be slaving day and night taking care of the household, but they also shouldn't be totally hands-off.
My daughter has helped with chores in some ways since she could walk. This doesn't mean full-blown housework. She would put her blocks back in the bucket, as we made a game of it. She knows when she finishes with a toy or game, it is supposed to be returned where she got it.
Now that she is four, she wipes and dusts tables, vacuums the area rug, makes her bed, helps load and unload the dishwasher, helps with laundry, and a few other household tasks. Her favorite household duty is helping Mommy with dinner. The beauty of it is that she enjoys doing these things (at least for now). She likes "helping" Mommy and she learns at the same time.
By helping with "chores," children feel more a part of the household and its workings. Children learn how things work and are maintained. Through doing things like cooking, they learn measurements, mixtures, and more.
I say by the time a child can walk, there are things they can do to help maintain the household. Starting sooner rather than later will instill some routine and habits that will continue on as they grow. However, as children become more established in their ways, they will be more difficult to "train" or help learn. God tells us clearly that what we impart to our children in their youth will be with them as adults. So we must impart, among the essentials, a basic understanding of how to care for their home and themselves.
Here are some helpful items we use in our home:
