Q: Do you think children should have chores around the house? If you do, how can I tell which ones are OK for my kids? What happens if they don't do their chores? I have a 6-, 4-, and 1-year-old.

A: We think chores are a great idea. They provide opportunities to learn to complete tasks, work cooperatively, understand responsibility, and be an important part of the family's daily life.

	Anita Dufalla, Post-Gazette Click illustration for larger image.

But chores can do even more. A University of Minnesota researcher followed a group of people from early childhood through young adulthood. He found that people who took part in household chores as children are more likely to complete their education, get a good start on a career, develop strong relationships as adults, and have higher IQ scores -- and they are less likely to experiment with drugs. How's that for motivation?

Chores can be introduced early in a child's life. Simple tasks such as picking up toys, putting dirty clothes in the hamper, helping pack the day's lunch, and helping sort laundry are a way for kids to begin to learn useful life skills, and they're also helpful for the household. As children become older, they can, for example, help adults with dusting, vacuuming, table-setting, bed-making, cleaning up bathrooms and kitchens, or helping in the garage, basement, or yard.

To be effective, children's chores need to be managed by adults. Here's how that might work in your household.

Hold a family meeting. Think everything through beforehand, and be ready to create a chore chart to post on the fridge. Make sure each child's chores are age-appropriate and don't make them too gender-specific. Everyone, male or female, needs all these life skills.

Discuss each child's chores, and how often they're to be done. Make clear how well you expect them to be done -- and, again, be age-appropriate in expectations.

Talk about the consequences of chores left undone, and rewards for chores done well. Will there, for instance, be no TV for that night if a chore isn't done? When a chore is successfully completed, might there, for example, be a fun sticker on the chore chart?

If you manage the children's chores well, we think it won't be long before you see in the kids an enhanced sense of self and a healthy increase in reliability and self-confidence.