I’ve often been told I’m a slave driver where my kids are concerned. I’ve even been called Hitler Mum by people who think I overwork my kids with chores at home.  I don’t get offended at all. You see, I instilled values of helping around the house in my kids when they were very little. Today they’re older and a lot more independent than their age mates.

The first thing they do when they get up is say their prayers, make the bed, go for a shower and get ready for school and wipe down the bathroom once they’re done with it. They even sort their own breakfast out and pack their lunches. Once in a while they’ll ask me to do it and I won’t really mind at all because I know they do it all the time. They set the table for meals, clean it up afterwards and help with washing the dinner dishes too. Yes I do have a helper to do all this but if I don’t teach my children basic things of looking after themselves, who will?

I’ve known of women who move countries to be nearer their kids when they go abroad to study. EXCUSE ME?! If you are old enough to be in university aren’t you already an adult? Why do you need mummy dearest around you to do everything for you? Sometimes, it’s the other way around. The kids want to get away from these suffocating parents but they’re not allowed to let go.

You are not enabling your kids for anything at all. The more dependent they are on you, the more their life skills deplete. My kids are quite young yet they can do basic cooking and look after themselves should the need arise. While they get anxious if I have to travel anywhere on my own without them, they know life will not come to an end.

When guests come home, I get the kids to serve the drinks and plays hosts. I feel it is very important to teach kids these things because it sets the foundations to what they will become later on in life. I know of grown kids who cannot even pick their plates from the table because they expect the house helper to do it. That drives me nuts. There is nothing wrong at all in letting your child pull their weight around the house. Chores should not to be appreciated with money either! What is this maneno of paying your kids for helping around the house? If they want to earn extra pocket money set other tasks and chores; not simple things that you ought to expect them to do.

Everyone has their own ways of parenting and bringing up their kids but in my very strong opinion, I feel you really should enable your children by letting them do things to help you out. If they make a mistake they will learn to correct it and if they fail you will be there to let them know that they should try harder and get it right the next time. Don’t become a crutch for your kids so that when you are not around they can do nothing but collapse.