Imagine your parents hiring someone to teach you to ride a bike. A hedge-fund manager I knew once did that. He’d calculated his time was worth $3,205/hr. So this optimization made sense. It turns out that something else is being optimized these days: chores. 82% of you did them as kids. But only 28% of your kids do them. ## “Kids these days?” They’re entitled and lazy, right? It’s actually quite the opposite. In the book [Never Enough: When achievement culture becomes toxic – and what we can do about it]() by Jennifer Breheny Wallace, she describes that parents are taking one for the team here. > “I’d rather my daughter know Mandarin than how to make her bed.” In the world of college prep, competitive sports and Mandarin Mastery – __chores are just a mere obstacle__. Optimize them away. And I get it. My parents (who didn’t have the funds to hire a _bike coach_) were lax on the chores. So that we could do our homework. Chances are, you’re part of the 82% that’s passing that along. But what does the research say? ## Make your bed, do less drugs? A study by Marty Rossman from the University of Minnesota (albeit n = 24) revealed that young adults who had chores were more likely to achieve in school, have career success and be self-sufficient. They were also less likely to use drugs. The famous [Harvard Study on happiness](), researchers showed that a “strong work ethic in the teen years, such as one developed by chores, was an important predictor of midlife happiness.” But what if chores had a _secondary benefit_ – beyond teaching work ethic (and freeing up some parenting time)? Breheny Wallace argues that chores “cement our place in our immediate community, our family.” She continues: > They can be used to communicate to our children that they have a place in a world that needs them, and that their contribution can have an impact. Chores make children feel depended on. [They] bolster a child’s sense of mattering. A parent interviewed in the book took it a step further, adding: > We didn’t really talk about it as chores. It’s more like, how am I going to contribute to the family today and make our home a little happier? ## Does _everything_ need an outcome? Long-time readers will know that I’m a big advocate of [taking a walk without AirPods](). And while I have nothing against Andrew Huberman or Emma Chamberlain – culturally we push ourselves to __make everything in life productive.__ And that’s a problem. Not only because it forces us to always live in the future (where we reap the _results_ of our productivity). But because some of life’s best moments – reading a book, chit-chatting with a friend, taking a hike – __do not have outcomes.__ And when we swap __making your bed__ with __learning Mandarin__ , we’re giving our malleable kids a very strong message: > Everything needs an outcome. > Everything in service of bettering yourself. And that’s a recipe for loving yourself conditionally. It’s a recipe for misery. ## Want to give it a try? Here’s a list of chores for kids based on age-appropriateness: ![Blog post image](/images/blog/image.png)Source: [TheHappyHouseWife.com]() ## Here’s how we can help you * [The Life Operating System](): Your home base for personal productivity. It combines tasks, notes, project management and a CRM in one place. * [Supercharge your Productivity](): Learn how our $10K Work method can help you improve your mind, career and relationships. * [Apply for our Group Coaching:]() Are you an executive or founder undergoing a career change? We’ll give you frameworks and accountability for this transition. * [Train Your Team on $10K Work](): Is your team busy, but without much to show for it? Teach your colleagues how to prioritize and identify leverage in your organization. * [Download the Rad Friends podcast:]() Every week we ponder one of life’s thorniest questions. * [The RadReads Newsletter](): Sign up for 5 actionable insights each Saturday for a life well-lived.