How One Mother Taught Her Children to Enjoy Chores and Eat Their Dinners

Raising kids to be happy and successful starts at home with the basics

Occasionally turning chores into games can be a good incentive for the child to tackle them with enthusiasm. Anna Lurye/Shutterstock

Ask any set of parents what they wish for their child, and they’ll likely give you some form of “happiness and success” answer.

There are a cacophony of voices in today’s overbearing world telling us how to raise such happy and successful children. “Give them a good education,” one voice says, while another suggests “lots of extra-curricular activities,” while a third insists they “roam free and independent.”