Nigerians from all walks of life have expressed their views on the need for parents to get male children 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 is old fashioned.
Some believe that involving the male child in house chores would instill discipline and responsibility in them.
The Executive Director, Administration atf Every Life Matters Foundation, Mr. Benjamin Obasi, advised parents to invest time to train their male children to become responsible adults.
Obasi said the society invests so much time training and educating the girl child in terms of house chores and neglects the boy child in that regard.
According to him, no girl child will be abused if the boy child also gets adequate home training.
”Doing house chores is 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, Mr. John Atomore, an activist, said it was important to involve the male child in house chores because chores are not gender-biased.
“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 him understand that house chores are not a gender role, but a survival skill.
”When a male child is involved in chores, he will not maintain or assume that 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, Mrs. 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 from.
“The male child should see chores as a normal life responsibility,’’ Adeyanju said.
Mr. 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 such as responsibility, empathy and team work.
“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 said.
Okwudili said that helping with laundry could instill 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 praise for his efforts,” he said.
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, Mr. Mmesomachi Anyanwu, a teacher, said that parents could involve a male child in chores by putting them in charge of their personal 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 own clothes,” he said.
Anyanwu said that doing chores is a form of training for bigger responsibilities as adults. He identified the major tasks to include cleaning dishes and sorting out clothes for washing.
He opined that these are basic life skills for the upkeep and maintenance of a home, which everyone needs to know.(NAN)
