Forget Tiger Mothers. According to Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Assocation of Teachers and Lecturers, some parents are making their children into ‘Little Buddhas’ by waiting on them hand and foot.
Um, yes. Guilty.
When it comes to getting up for school and doing his homework, going out with his mates or buying things he wants, No 1 Son can pretty much do everything for himself.
But when it comes to making the connection between the washing machine and dirty laundry, washing up, tidying his room, putting aforementioned dirty laundry in the linen basket, making something for himself to eat, or basically doing any of the everyday household chores that he obviously think happen by magic, he just won’t. I don’t even think he knows how to turn the vaccum cleaner on, let alone use it.
Left to his own devices he’ll eat nothing but toast and wear the same clothes day in and day out. His blinds will never be drawn, the bed will never be made.
That’s not to suggest he doesn’t know boundaries – he does. And he’s doing brilliantly at school. But domestic chores? No chance.
I think it runs in the family, because Man of the House says his mum always moaned complained about him not doing any chores, either.
Still, it could be worse.
*How do you persuade your kids to do chores? I’d love to know.
I had never heard that expression before. Each of us, including myself and my husband is becoming a buddha (big or little). We have a live-in maid (one of the perks of living in Singapore). She cooks, cleans and tidies up after us. In a bid to instill a bit of the real world, I try to get Miss C to tidy up her toys and make her bed by using reward charts.
God knows what it will be like for all of us when we actually have to live back in the real world.
I am convinced that you are talking about my husband. Please explain why he is living in your house. Also how come neither of us can get him to unload the dishwasher?…
I’m going to try my best NOT to let my kids shirk the domestic duties, but that might be easier said than done in 8/9 years when those teenage hormones kick in…
I’m teaching my two boys to iron this holidays, although they couldn’t give a toss about whether their clothes are crumpled or not. They can both cook, I think because they are really interested in food – but they leave a trail of destruction behind them in the kitchen. They would happily live in darkened bedrooms with the blinds down all day and sometimes I can’t see the carpet for their stuff on it and I constantly have to remind them to clear up. Their future girlfriends/wives will be eternally grateful for their domestic skills, so that’s what I’m telling them! 😉
I have one or two Little Buddha’s myself! Sure they think the floor IS where clothes go.