Survey Says 1 In 3 Parents Give Their Kids the Chores They Hate

Having to do chores is a fact of life. It’s not the most fun or glamorous part, but it’s a reality. These chores can feel like a burden that we never have time for between work and family life. And there’s always that one chore we dread doing and hate with a fiery passion and put off as long as we can. Well, that is unless we do what one of three parents have figured out – make our kids do it instead.

According to a new survey, one in three parents admits to assigning the chores that they hate doing themselves to their kids. Calling it a pure genius move, it’s one of the perks of having kids. The survey conducted by Cinch Home Services asked 1020 people in the United States to share some truths about the chores in their homes. Nearly one-third of the responders reported they pass it along to their kids.

Genius, honestly.

And there are zero reasons to feel guilty about it because all indications show that chores are good for kids. “Chores can be very beneficial for kids anyway, though,” the survey shares. Adding, “For example, they can develop life skills due to their heightened sense of responsibility as well as a boost to their self-esteem by completing household tasks.”

What are these chores that we’re passing off to our kids? Well, it’s the stinky ones that require a lot of elbow grease, of course. The number one hated chore, according to those who participated in the survey, was cleaning toilets. This followed by removing hair from drains, cleaning bathrooms, and unclogging kitchen sinks. We’re not talking about having our 3-year-old take these tasks on, they’re far too young. But it’s totally reasonable to have our kids 10 and up tackle these chores and get them off our to-do list.

The survey also indicated that when it comes to families with one or two kids, most often these chores are regimented with a schedule they stick to. But, for families who have three or more kids, chore charts and schedules are less often used. Probably because at that point all chaos breaks loose.

And it’s not a surprise that 40% of the women surveyed felt they were doing the majority of the chores in their homes. But the good news is, according to the survey findings, the gap between women and men is narrowing when it comes to how much housework we take on.

The takeaway is chores are good for kids. We should all be more like the one-third of parents who have figured out a way to get a much-needed break from scrubbing another toilet.