My child is 12 but he detests doing anything at home. He always comes up with flimsy excuses and often sweet talks the house help to chip in for her. I do not want my child to turn out lazy. He needs to learn to partake in the house chores. How do I change his attitudes towards this kind of work. Chantal, Nyarutarama Dear Chantal,Doing chores is a tradition in many homes and societies. These chores help children to learn about responsibility. As expected, most children would prefer to just play for most of the day without doing any work. There are however ways in which you can make chores less of a burden for children.Children need to feel useful and needed in a home. Even if you have a house help your child can still take on a few chores like tidying the living room, making her own bed, sweeping the compound or even going to the nearby shop to bring groceries.You need to be clear when giving them tasks and take time to show them how it is done before allowing them to do it themselves. Children love compliments almost as much as ice cream. Do not wait for them to finish, praise them when the chore is in progress and after. You can also make sure they do not get to enjoy anything before they do something. For example, playing only after he has cleaned his room. Assign them something when everyone else is also doing something. That way they cannot delegate but will feel like they are part of a working family and thus enjoy the experience. Send your parenting questions to education@newtimes.co.rw