Our kids are grown. I freely admit I must be hopelessly out of touch. But I have to wonder how much the world has changed when a New York Times article nonchalantly accepts a BusyKids chore chart that indicates chore compensation for taking a shower and brushing your teeth is appropriate in many U.S. homes, albeit more likely a compensated task for a boy than for a girl.
What is this? Personal hygiene as a household chore? Aren't these really health-seeking incentive payments? And, if so, aren't the boys in this study being way over-compensated for chores that do not contribute to the collective good?
The article makes a good point that we continue to socialize our children to sex-based division of labor in household chores and in sex-based rates of compensation for those chores. But aren't those paying for pro-social behavior also sending a strong message about the nature of a family life where the small accommodations of communal life must be bought and not given?
Missouri State of Mind 