First, we must expunge the word chores from our household vocabulary. Amy McCready, parenting coach and founder of Positive Parenting Solutions, told me, “I’ve always encouraged parents to ditch the word chores and replace it with ‘family contributions.’ Calling them ‘family contributions’ doesn’t make kids enjoy them any more, but it sends an important message about significance, that when you help out, you make a big difference for this family. We all have a hardwired need for significance and this is a great way to foster that in all kids, from toddlers to teens.”
