"I love a checklist of reminders for my kids, but these overly complicated chore charts? They've got to go. There are apps, there are magnetic charts, there are giant customizable dry-erase boards - it's all too much. And it makes giving your kids chores and encouraging them to be a part of the team at home way more overwhelming than it needs to be."
"Every now and then, I come across an Instagram reel or TikTok that says we have to stop telling our children, "No." Apparently, we're supposed to be asking them questions when our answer is no, hoping they'll realize for themselves why jumping off the top of the stairs is a bad idea or why they can't stay up until 3 a.m. on a school night."
"You know how we tell our kids we need a 10-minute break? Or, at least, we run and hide from them in the bathroom and scream things like, "FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, LET ME POOP IN PEACE"? OK, that's a time-out, and I'm not sure why the parenting trend gods are trying to make us villainize time-outs for our kids."
Overly complicated chore charts create unnecessary overwhelm for families; simple reminders or a single visible calendar note are usually sufficient. Saying "no" to children remains a valid tool when paired with calm explanation of reasons and boundaries. Short time-outs or brief parent breaks can provide necessary reset without shaming children, provided they are reasonable and not punitive. Labeling children's programming as inherently harmful because of a primary color palette is an unfair overreaction. Practical, straightforward approaches to chores, discipline, and media judgment better support family functioning and parental sanity.
Read at Scary Mommy
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