Parents, teachers and the general public are constantly underestimating the intelligence of children. Children’s brains are like sponges absorbing information from everywhere and everything.
Here are the 3 main areas where I feel that parents are really letting their children down:
#1 Not Giving Children Enough Responsibility
Children as young as 2 years old can be taught to do a simple task around the house 1-2 times a week. With each birthday that passes increase the responsibility a bit more. For example, a 2-3 year old could dust with a feather duster or be responsible for using a Swiffer cloth on the kitchen floor. (Yes, you are welcome to do it again after them, but wait until they are asleep so they don’t SEE you do it and feel as if what they did wasn’t good enough).
Elementary age children can empty the bathroom trash can when they are smaller and then graduate to emptying out all the trash cans. Save your back and let your child empty the dishwasher for you. Our 6 year old enjoys his task of unloading the dishwasher. He puts away what he can reach and stacks the out of reach items on the counter where I can put them away later.
The Random Homeschool Spot 