Conditioning in Parenting: Getting Kids to Do Chores Essay

Introduction

Parenting is usually a challenging and time-consuming process that includes many struggles and obstacles along the way. One of those is an attempt to teach the child the love to the core and develop the initiative of helping with the housekeeping duties. The research demonstrated that children with indigenous roots are much more willing to voluntarily assist their parents in chores and perform them by their wish (Doucleff, 2018). Thus, this paper will review the different aspects of learning, analyzing some of the concepts on the “Maya method” example.

Main body

There are three main elements of learning: classical and operant conditions and observational learning. Classical implies the development of the unconscious while operant is responsible for the conscious operations (Coon, et al., 2018). In turn, observational learning is based on the adopted behavior seen in society and the close surroundings (Coon, et al., 2018). Moreover, those concepts are demonstrated in the “Maya method” in how Mexican mothers teach their children to perform chores. For instance, when children feel the smell of delicious food stimulates the unlearned response, they may enjoy the cooking because it resonates with the unconscious pursuit for nutrition (Simon, 2018, 5:32). Another method of teaching a child to do chores is through the operant condition.

Unlike the previous example of the classical condition, in this way, a child starts to associate the activities with certain emotions and feelings. Doucleff, for example, integrated games and entertaining into the routine, so her toddler perceives it not as a burden but a pleasant activity that she may voluntarily perform (Doucleff, 2018). In addition, through operational learning, the child quickly remembers and understands the core of the household duties and willingly strives to be integrated into the activities to be a part of the family (Simon, 2018, 3:57). However, physical punishment will only result negatively, and through operant conditions will form the loathing towards the chores.

Conclusion

In conclusion, conditioning in parenting plays a crucial role, specifically in teaching children how to do chores regularly by their own will. With the classical and operant conditions and observational learning, parents can voluntarily integrate their children into the housework. While building positive associations and reactions with the chore performance, it is still vital to avoid compulsion and physical punishment, resulting in a negative attitude towards responsibilities.

References

Coon, D., Mitterer, J. O., & Martini, T. S. (2018). Introduction to psychology: Gateways to mind and behavior (15th Edition). Cengage Learning US. Web.

Doucleff, M. (2018). How to get kids to do chores: Does the Maya method work?. NPR. Web.

Simon, S. (Host). (2018). How to get your kids to do chores (Without Resenting It). [Audio podcast episode]. In Goats and Soda. NPR. Web.