preview

Case Against Chores

Decent Essays

In her essay “The Case Against Chores” Jane Smiley argues that kids should have the choice on whether they help with housework or not and announces her disapproval of the work before play method of chores. She claims that forcing kids to help with the chores teaches them “the lesson of alienated labor: not to love the work but to get it over with” (274). Smiley also avers that most chores systems result in “the child doing the dirty work and the parent getting the fun” (274). However, I disagree with her stance and consider chores to actually play an important part in a child’s education. My parents have required my siblings and I to help around the house ever since we were little, and over the years I have learned to understand the reasoning for chores and to appreciate them as a part of my education. While I might not always love the work, I have come to realize that chores serve as a significant part of childhood. As an important component of a child’s education, …show more content…

Giggling, I envisioned myself in my future college dorm with my side of the room neat and tidy while my roommate, who had not had the responsibility of chores as a child, struggled to keep her side clean. With this picture in my mind, I realized that even though I might not always enjoy straightening my house or chopping vegetables, helping around the house had taught me several important skills I would use latter in my life. I finished my dishes with that realization in my mind. After I carefully rinsed my hands to purge them of the dishwater smell, I happily flopped on the couch and opened my book. Even though I had accepted that chores were an important part of my education, I let all thoughts of work fly from my head as I entered the world of Percy

Get Access