How to Get Kids to Do Chores: Does the Maya Method Work?

I don't think the Mayan people have better long-term outcomes for their kids despite being helpful. My kids are prepping for college. I'll make sure they pick up life skills as they become able.

I guess that depends on the outcomes that you've set as goals.

Being a self-sufficient and well rounded adult is universal, regardless of the superiority some parents seem to have outlined for their college bound kids.

Your kids are prepping for college as toddlers?

Learning life skills around college timing is late, to say the least.

Because college is more important than life skills?

I know plenty of people in their 20's who are incapable of cooking and cleaning.

Of course, the HN response to that is "my children will earn enough money after college that they can hire cleaners and order UberEats".

> Of course, the HN response to that is "my children will earn enough money after college that they can hire cleaners and order UberEats".

Or they won't, and necessity will be their teacher. The point is that it's not obvious whether teaching kids these skills early makes a serious long-term difference in outcomes.

Yes? Or does being a cleaner, washer, cook or server beats college?

Trust me. If you need so much time 'prepping for college' that you can't spare a few minutes helping out with the house chores, you're not college material.

It's never an 'either chores or college, pick one', and no, people that cook and clean their own home aren't looking for a professional career in that, and cleaners didn't 'choose' that profession because they were conditioned as toddlers to clean.

Prepping might barely get you into some college or might get you to smoothly sail through the best colllege you can find.

I'd prefer my kid would build games or solder or have fun with math or play with physics or chemistry than do the dishes or cook.

Besides, you asked if college is more important than life skills. And yes, it is. So much that even 'prepping' which at such young age is just getting your kid into anything other than mundane is worth more.

Also, life skills are so easy to acquire at later age by anyone with at least mediocre IQ that they basically come free if you mange to raise your kid's IQ by 10 points.

My parents taught me the bare minimum in the kitchen. I can now cook whatever I need and do so for my kids. It's not hard to follow a recipe.

Learning to do things for yourself in general is a huge step towards living within your means, which is a struggle for a majority of Americans. My family has plenty of money to no longer do most things for ourselves - clean, cook, yard work, house maintenance, car maintenance, etc., but I refuse to contract out anything I don't have to because 1) I usually have the free time to do it and am essentially earning money in my free time and 2) that added money goes towards experiences we could not afford if we paid for services we could easily do ourselves.

I much prefer saving the money to use how I want than enjoy extra free time I likely would not use productively.

>college is more important than life skills. And yes, it is.

We would have to define "life skills".

I would consider life skills the ability to navigate hierarchies and bureaucracies (like the DMV, or dealing with bosses). I would also include knowing how to deal with challenges like a broken down vehicle. Balancing a checkbook, cleanliness, halfway decent nutritional sense.

But hey, as long as you got that PhD in Russian literature, I'm sure everything will turn out fine.