Children should do housework. That’s a controversial idea, though not everyone will admit it. A few parents will declare that their children are too busy for housework. Many more of us assign housework, or say we believe in them, but the housework just doesn’t get done.

That' s a problem. For starters, housework is good for kids. Being a part of the routine work of running a household helps children develop an awareness of the needs of others, while at the same time contributing to their emotional well-being.

One small study, done over a period of 25 years, found that the best predictor for young adults success in their mid-20s was whether they participated in household tasks at age 3 or 4. Those early shared responsibilities extended to a sense of responsibility in other areas of their lives.

But for all that their help matters, few kids are doing much around the house at all. In a survey of 1, 000 American adults, 75 percent said they believed regular housework made kids "more responsible”. Yet while 82 percent reported having had regular housework growing up, only 56 percent of those with children said they required them to do housework.

Sports and homework are not get-out-of-housework-free cards. The goal, after all, is to raise adults who can balance a caring role in their families and communities with whatever lifetime achievement goals they choose. Housework teaches that balance.

What should you do when getting children to do housework? Accept no excuses. Don’t worry if you must repeat yourself again and again. If you’re spending more time getting the child to do this job than it would take to do it yourself, then you’re doing it right. Can an allowance help? Maybe. But if you’re trying to teach kids to share the responsibility of a home, paying them for routine housework is not the right message.

How would you like to increase the chance of achieving your goals? Whether you desire to lose weight, create financial independence, or raise responsible children, the formula for achieving any goal is the same. Here are some tips that will help you increase the probability of achieving your goals:

1.Identify what’s important to you!

The only goals you will succeed in reaching are those that are truly important to you. 【小题1】 Take 30 minutes and make a list of the things that are truly essential in your life; those that you highly value. Then highlight the most important points on that list and set your goals.

2.Learn from those who have already achieved “your” goals.

Once you are clear on what you truly want to achieve, your next step is to learn what you need to know. 【小题2】 Identify people you respect and admire, who have achieved the goals you desire, and learn as much as you can from them.

3.【小题3】

Far too often people focus on what they need to do to achieve their goals and fail to consider who they must become. To accomplish something you have never accomplished before, you must be willing to do what you’ve never done before; 【小题4】 ; become someone you’ve never been before. As you learn from those who have achieved “your” goals, pay as much attention to their personal attributes and characteristics as you do to what they did to realize their goals

4. Put together a plan.

After learning from and studying those who have been successful in reaching similar goals, your next step is to put together your plan. You need to clearly outline what you need to do and when, step-by-step, and then reduce those steps into daily activities. 【小题5】

Ways to know your feelings better.As we grow up, we get better at knowing what we are feeling and why.【小题1】It also helps us understand and get on well with other people. Even difficult feelings, like anger or sadness, help us know ourselves. Paying attention to feelings is a skill that anyone can practice. Here are some things to try:

Notice and name your feelings.

First, notice how you feel as things happen.【小题2】For example, you might say, “I feel proud” when a class presentation goes well, “I feel disappointed” at not doing well on a test, or “I feel friendly” when sitting with a group at lunch.

【小题3】

Pick one emotion — like joy. Track it all day. Notice how often you feel it. Every time, make a mental note to yourself or write it down. Is the feeling mild, medium, or strong?

Keep a feeling journal.

Take a few minutes each day to record how you feel and why. 【小题4】You can also make art, write poetry, or compose music that catches an emotion you feel.

The more you are aware of your emotions, the more they help you know yourself and understand the people around you. Noticing and writing about your feelings is a healthy way you express them.【小题5】