...
By Jack Beresford
Senior Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
A Texas mom has shared a glimpse of what her 5-year-old son did after she asked him to help clean up the house.
Children might not enjoy them, but research suggests chores are a cornerstone of success in later life. A Harvard Research study published in the British Medical Journal identified a strong link between doing chores and both professional and personal success in later life.
Researchers found shared responsibilities in the household helped children to develop a strong work ethic, sense of self-worth, empathy for others and confidence.
Read More on Family & Parenting
Getting them to engage with these chores can be a challenge, though, and might result in the occasional hiccup, as Ronda, a mother based in Central Texas, can attest.
She recently took to Reddit, posting under the handle u/YogurtclosetCute7492, to share what happened when she tried to get her son to clean up.
"We are trying to get prepped for the Christmas holiday and, since my kids were out of school on break, they had toys and items out everywhere in the living room," Ronda told Newsweek. "So I told them that the only way we could start decorating was if they cleaned up their toys."
While her eldest child compiled, her young son, aged 5, was "not happy about having to do it." "Therefore, he went to his room. And apparently carried a dry erase marker with him," Ronda said.
It was only later that she discovered his handiwork. In a fit of rage, Ronda’s son has written the word "Mom" on his door, circling and putting a cross through it, to make his feelings known.
The message was clear: mom is not welcome in my room. It was a message Ronda took to heart.
"I was very upset at the time. It hasn’t been the first time I’ve had them write on walls, doors, counters; however, this was the first time it was something negative directed toward me," she said. "But I was most upset because it’s something we’ve been through numerous times and, since I live in an apartment, I definitely don’t want to have to pay damages."
...
Ronda ended up sharing the snapshot of the message to social media in the hope that someone might be able to provide advice on how best to remove it without damaging the door.
Ronda wasn’t happy. "Livid is an understatement," she wrote alongside the image.
The bad news is that, despite the response her post has gotten, with over 10,000 upvotes and counting, Ronda has been unable to completely remove the message from the door. "I have it mostly removed, but there is still a sort of tint to it, so I’m guessing I’ll need to repaint," she said.
Despite this, Ronda was heartened by some of the responses to the post, many of which came from fellow parents and once-rebellious kids turned adults who offered sympathy and similar stories.
One user wrote: "My son got mad at me and asked me what my least favorite color was. Then he drew of a picture of me dressed in that color."
Another said: "Reminds me of the time my sister got angry and proclaimed, ‘This family doesn't care about little girls!'’"
A third wrote: "I drew a picture of a dog labeled it ‘female dog’ and ‘mom’, then pretended not to understand why she was upset."
Elsewhere, a fellow mom commented: "At least when my son made a ‘no moms aloud’ sign for his door, he did it on paper and taped it up. We've all been there, huh? Hugs to you all. Some days it's hard to be a mom."
Ronda was "surprised" at how popular the post has been but is also glad other parents can relate to what she is going through. "I have taught preschool so I know how ‘normal’ it is," she said. "But it still makes me feel like a normal parent and not so upset actually. The stories have made me laugh a lot."
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines