Many parents lament the amount of leisure their children have. Chores, they somehow feel, help youngsters grow into stable adults. Work can strengthen families and teach children valuable lessons. But it isn't really the chores that contribute to maturity. It's what is learned from them.
Work can bring a feeling of worth and achievement that comes in no other way.
Children who work at chores around the home sense the partnership that goes into family life. No matter how young the child and meager the contribution, being accepted as a work companion does important things for his or her self-concept. Working alongside parents also increases companionship. Such activities encourage a 'we' feeling between children and parents. Such good feelings may keep the pattern going until an age when the child is truly helpful.