Nigerians from all walks of life on Sunday expressed their views on the need for parents to get boys involved in doing house chores.
They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, that allowing only the girl child to do the house chores, while the boys play football or other games, was “old fashioned”.
Some believe that involving the male child in house chores would instil discipline and responsibility in them. The Executive Director, of Administration, of Every Life Matters Foundation, Benjamin Obasi, advised parents to invest time in training their male children to become responsible adults.
Obasi said that society had invested so much time to train and educate the girl child in terms of house chores and neglected the boy child to become a nuisance. According to him, no girl child will be abused if the boy child gets adequate home training.
“Doing house chores are part of the training a boy child should undergo. It is bad to make them grow up with the mentality that a girl child is less valuable,” he said.
On his part, John Atomore, an activist, said it was important to involve the male child in house chores because chores are not gender-based.
“It is a form of training for the boy child, who will live alone some day before starting a family.
“Parents should encourage the male child by making them understand that house chores are not a gender role, but a survival skill.
“When a male child is involved in chores, he will not know whether certain duties are meant for a girl child or not.
“He gains satisfaction in doing it himself when he is used to it,” he said.
Similarly, Bisiola Adeyanju, a mother of one, said that she has a male child and was going to train him to be a responsible adult to himself, family and society.
“A male child should be involved in chores immediately he can differentiate between left and right.
“We need to involve them early to reduce gender bias in the society because home, they say, is where charity begins.
“The male child should see chores as a normal life responsibility,’’ Adeyanju stated.
Ezeabasili Okwudili, a civil servant, said that involving male children in household chores would help break gender stereotypes.
“It will promote equality, and teach important life skills like responsibility, empathy and teamwork.
“It sets a foundation for more equitable relationships and domestic responsibilities in the future.
“My mother involved me in house chores as early as pre-school age. I was washing my socks,” he added.
Okwudili said that helping with laundry could instil a sense of responsibility and contribute to the child’s overall development. He said as the child grows older, the parent could gradually increase the complexity of the chores assigned to him.
“One way to encourage a male child to take ownership of his chores is by involving him in the decision-making process.
“As a parent, we should provide positive reinforcement and praises for his efforts,” he noted.
Okwudili added that setting clear expectations and offering the child rewards for completing chores could also motivate him. He also urged parents to lead by example and show appreciation for their contributions.
Also, Mmesomachi Anyanwu, a teacher, said that parents could involve a male child in chores by putting them in charge of their toys.
“Chores like this send the message to your child that his contribution is important.
“Boys need to learn some housework because, eventually, they are going to be on their own.
“There is nothing as pathetic as a grown man who does not know how to wash his clothes,” he said.
Anyanwu said that chores were training for house responsibilities as adults. He identified the major tasks to include cleaning dishes and sorting out clothes for washing. He opined that these were basic life skills for the upkeep and maintenance of a home, which everyone needed to know.
