Do Chores Make Kids Successful? Myth vs Science!

Can giving your child a sponge set them up for success? Viral posts say an 85-year Harvard study proved it. The real research tells a more interesting story. In this video, we trace the claim back to the Harvard Study of Adult Development and examine what its researchers actually measured. The study followed two groups of men—268 Harvard students and 456 boys from Boston—and later expanded to include their children. Its best-known lesson concerns the value of close relationships for health and happiness, rather than a guaranteed payoff from a spotless kitchen. adultdevelopmentstudy.org That doesn’t mean chores are meaningless. A 1981 analysis of the Boston group linked childhood capacity for work with better outcomes in adulthood. Separately, Marty Rossmann’s analysis of 84 young adults associated helping at home at ages three or four with better outcomes in their mid-twenties. A larger study of 9,971 children found that doing chores in kindergarten was associated with stronger reported competence and prosocial behavior by third grade. These are associations, not proof that assigning dishes will cause career success. PubMed So what should parents take from the evidence? Invite children to contribute with manageable tasks, recognize their effort, and make room for connection along the way. Hand them a sponge—and a hug. What chore did you have as a child? Do your kids help around the house now? Tell us in the comments, and subscribe for more viral claims examined against the research. Scientific references 1. Harvard Study of Adult Development — study history and cohorts. adultdevelopmentstudy.org 2. Vaillant, G. E., & Vaillant, C. O. (1981). “Natural history of male psychological health, X: Work as a predictor of positive mental health.” American Journal of Psychiatry. PubMed 3. Rossmann, M. “Involving Children in Household Tasks: Is It Worth the Effort?” University of Minnesota research summary of the 84-person analysis. Involving children in household tasks.docx 4. White, E. M., DeBoer, M. D., & Scharf, R. J. (2019). “Associations Between Household Chores and Childhood Self-Competency.” Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics. PubMed 5. Robert Waldinger on relationships and the Harvard study, Harvard Gazette. Harvard Gazette Hashtags: #Parenting #KidsChores #HarvardStudy #ParentingMyths #ChildDevelopment #ScienceVsMyth #RaisingKids #FamilyRelationships #Psychology #FactCheck