The Gift of Knowledge and Preparedness: Setting Young Adults Up for Life Success
Part 2: Daily Chores
Why Chores Got Lost (And Why It Matters)
When Gen X and early Millennials were growing up, most of us had chores. While some of Gen Z has had chores, it has become much more common for various machines to handle chores. Only about 25-30% of parents assigned chores to Gen Z versus 75-80% of Gen X, and according to many studies, about 50% of Gen Z feels unprepared to manage basic household chores.
With vacuums that work by themselves, dishwashers, dry cleaning services in almost every strip mall, and many students who have the luxury of gardeners and other professionals who care for the inside and outdoor space of their homes, it makes perfect sense why those in Gen Z feel so out of their element. Combine this with the fact that Gen Z is overscheduled; overparented due to a confluence of the Covid pandemic and rising threats of school violence; and that screens have taken over “real life,” and you can understand how chores got lost in the day to day shuffle.
The Knowledge Gap
That said, the simple fact remains that Gen Z and younger generations are overwhelmed and bereft of a complete map of home, self-care, and car maintenance that previous generations just took as obvious.
Just think of this way, the same way you felt when you tried to pick up a controller to some new game system and attempt to play an entirely new video game is how your kids and young adults feel when you talk about basic maintenance—completely out of their depth and lacking the tools and knowledge to be successful.
The truth is your kids have learned different skillsets than you have learned in many cases, for better or worse, and while there is a area for commonality in the Venn diagram, that area will keep shrinking if you don’t actively teach them what you know over time.
So, how do you do that you might ask? Nagging won’t work. Doing it for them does nothing except make you temporarily want to rip your hair out less. You have to teach them all the pieces and help them develop your systems and eventually their own over time.
The “Essential 8” Life-Skills Checklist
Below is a list of the 8 most important items to work on in each category to make sure your Gen Zer knows needs to get done to avoid the most immediate of issues. Obviously, there are many items to add to each list for it to be complete. I have then broken up the list by time increments, so your Gen Zer will know how often to complete the task.
Home Chores: | Car: | Home Maintenance: |
1. Laundry and cleaning lint trap | 1. Changing oil/fluids/etc. | 1. Furnace filters |
2. Grocery lists, shopping, and cleaning our refrigerator/freezer | 2. Hands free phone | 2. Lawn/deck care |
3. Garbage/recycling day | 3. Car Insurance | 3. Lightbulbs |
4. Cleaning bathrooms | 4. Pumping gas | 4. Unclog drains |
5. Cleaning floors & vacuuming | 5. Tire pressure | 5. Smoke and CO2 detectors |
6. Check food expiration dates | 6. Road-side assistance & towing service | 6. Service AC units |
7. Check medicine expiration dates | 7. Understand Car Insurance | 7. Clean gutters |
8. Paying personal or household bills and managing bank account | 8. Know a trusted mechanic | 8. Donating regularly |
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| |
Weekly: 1, 2, 3, 4, (5) Monthly: (5), 6, 7, 8
| 3-4x per Year: 1 General: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 | 2-3x per year: 1, 3, 4, 7, 8 Seasonally: 2 Yearly: 5 and 6 |
Bridging the Virtual and Physical Worlds
Young adults who struggle with executive functioning may need some extra support in truly making these their own. However, the largest issue is that many times Gen Z has not seen their parents do these tasks to even know they need to get accomplished.
Think about it, if you hire people, pay your bills online, run errands without them, and organize for them or not much at all, how would Gen Zers know what even needs to be done? In addition, Gen Z lives much of their lives in the virtual world, not the physical one. They likely have a much better idea of how to edit a video for maximum visibility, disable tracking, or code their own video game than they do understanding what their car insurance covers, how to deep-clean a bathroom, or how to shop for and prepare meals for the week.
Research has consistently found that doing chores helps with self-esteem, responsibility, resilience, delayed gratification, and can even lead to more career stability in adulthood. If you didn’t start with a chore chart or reward system at age 3, which is the age many experts suggest starting with simple chores, all is not lost!
Whether your Gen Zer is in high school, college, or a young adult, there are still ways to help them become more aware and more independent. Printable chore lists, videos of systems to organize chores and daily tasks, and other resources can easily be found online that match every age, ability, personality, and stage of maturity. There are even fun quizzes online to see what your GenZer knows about home maintenance and chores!
Modeling the Way
Ultimately, just showing your Gen Zer the chart above or something like it can be very helpful in allowing them to put together a more complete picture of what needs to be done and how often they need to be responsible for it.
There is no substitute for modeling these behaviors and involving your Gen Zer in the process, so I highly encourage you to share as you do. Show your Gen Zer how you meal plan and shop for the week, what the mechanics do when they service your car for an oil change and why it is important, or how to create a system for regularly donating clothing and other household items you may not be using anymore. Over time, they will make systems their own once the tasks become integrated.
Empowering your child for the world ahead doesn’t have to be a solo journey
The move from high school to independence is as much a milestone for parents as it is for students. By offering guidance, modeling responsibility, and providing the right tools, you’re giving your student the foundation to succeed not just in a dorm room, but in life.
Whether your young adult is struggling with executive functioning or simply needs help building a “map” for adulthood, Jamie the Scholar can help them strengthen life skills, build confidence, and develop lasting independence.
Call us today at 888-577-3224 to schedule a free consultation and learn how our academic coaches can help your student navigate the transition to adulthood with confidence.