ESSAY : Chores in your household

   One constant factor in most Malaysian teenager’s lives is chores. Chores refer to tasks or work done at home to assist parents in the upkeep of the house. Some teenagers get paid for their efforts, while others may not have a choice but to obey without any monetary gain. In my house, we fall into the latter category. However, my siblings and I generally do them without complaint. 

       My home is run on a tight schedule of little tasks that my mum meticulously plans out for us. Each member has a part to play, right down to my youngest sister who is only seven years old. While the heavier, more dangerous tasks such as ironing or cleaning the fish pond are handled by my parents, my elder brothers and I can be depended on for almost everything else. As the youngest, my sister is awarded the special and enjoyable job of watering the plants which she takes very seriously. 

    

          As for me, I usually do the laundry three times a week. This entails hanging the freshly laundered clothes out to dry and taking them in before it rains. Folding is also my forte, and I consider myself an expert at neatly putting away t-shirts and trousers. The only downside of handling the laundry is having to deal with everyone’s soiled clothes, something I do not relish!

           Apart from that, I am quite a gifted cook, having picked up a few easy recipes from my grandmother. As a result, I take charge of the cooking on the weekends. I normally use this opportunity to experiment with different dishes and desserts for dinner. Unfortunately for me, making dinner also means I’m entrusted to do the washing up after. It can be quite an arduous task, but on the plus side, doing the dishes is much more enjoyable when I play my favourite songs or listen to a podcast. 

         In my opinion, there are a myriad of advantages that chores can award us. Firstly, they help build character. One might argue that a student’s life is busy as it is, with school work and exams. However, I find that completing household chores instills a sense of responsibility because teenagers like me should be held accountable for our actions at home rather than get off scot free with being a couch potato.  

     In the long run, chores also help develop and ingrain organising and prioritising skills. This is paramount as we make our way through life as adults in the future. Furthermore, checking off a successfully completed list of chores can gift a sense of pride to the doer. I believe this type of pride is an important value to ward off the negative habits of procrastination that students are always at risk of picking up. 

     In conclusion, I’m grateful that my siblings and I have been raised to pull our share of the weight around the house. Consequently, we are continuously reaping the benefits of doing simple household chores