Last year, a 22-year-old mother from Michigan, US, came under fire for posting photos online of her son doing household chores, from cleaning to cooking. Her name is Nicole Boulogne and she is raising her two children alone, 7-year-old Lyle and 1.5-year-old Ellie.
Nicole works hard to provide for her children while leading by example. To teach them to be productive members of society, mowing the lawn, washing their clothes and cooking for themselves.
This is how the woman explained when she was criticized:
“I teach my son to cook & do household chores. Why? Because household work isn’t just for women. Because one day he might be a single man, living on his own, who will actually know how to do laundry & not eat take out every night. Because one day he might want to impress a significant other with a meal cooked by his own hands. Because one day when he has kids & a spouse, he’s going to need to do his fair share around the home. Because I leave in a generation of people who complain that school didn’t teach us how to cook, do laundry, tie a tie, or pay taxes. Because teaching my son how to do these things and be a productive member of society both outside the home and inside, starts with ME. Because it’s ok to let your child be a child but still teach them lifelong lessons along the way. My son will never be too “manly” to cook or do chores. He will be the kind of man who can come inside from changing a tire to check on his pot roast. Who can properly sort his laundry and mow the lawn too. Remember parents, a man who believes he shouldn’t have to cook or do chores was once a boy who was never taught any better.”
Studies show that if children are allowed to help around the house, they grow up more independently and are more successful in their learned profession. Because those who grow up with a lot of responsibility later dare to take the initiative and achieve high goals.
