House chores are not ALL meant for maids, or as we Malaysians often address them as “Kakak”. If everyone relies on the maid, chances are that the people in the house will be in trouble if the maid runs away.
A Malaysian father, Yazid Ismail doesn’t need to worry about his maid running away. First off, he doesn’t have one and secondly, he has never thought of hiring one because it has always been his intention to train his children to start doing house chores at a young age, despite living in a huge house.
“I have 4 ‘maids’ now and God willing, I will have another ‘maid’ next year.”
Be your own ‘maid’
Yazid has 6 children, who were exposed to doing house chores as early as 7.
“The eldest is 15 years old, and the youngest is 2 years old. They started by ironing their clothes and washing their dishes.”
The man also said that he wants his kids to be their own “maid”, to educate them about relying on their own self, and about responsibilities. In Yazid’s house, there is no such thing as segregated tasks based on gender.
“Sons or daughters, everyone is doing the same thing. My daughters have no ‘princess syndrome’ which will make them too comfortable or lazy. They need to have common sense,” Yazid explain.
In the meantime, he believes that some parents are enslaving themselves by doing everything for everyone at home, including the adults.
“If you treat them like King & Queens, you’ll be their slaves for a lifetime.”
As of now, Yazid’s kids can already clean the house, fold their own laundry, and even clean their parents’ bedroom. One of his daughters, Fina, even offered to mow the lawn recently when she saw Yazid doing the same thing.
“Your house will be chaotic if the children are not exposed to house chores. They’ll be like King and Queens on their gadgets.”
Yazid’s parenting is truly admirable. It does not only introduce these young souls to house chores but also helps in developing responsibilities at home as they grow up.
Can you recall your very first house chores? How did you feel carrying out the duty for the very 1st time?
Also read: M’sian Says Instead of Giving Kids Gadgets to Keep Them Quiet, Parents Should Just Slap Them
