As a parent, you have the responsibility of teaching your child important life skills they will need later in life. One such important skill every child needs to learn is how to be helpful. Lots of parents either don’t recognize the need to teach their children this lesson, or they don’t want to bother with it because they are too busy. If you don’t think it’s important, here are five points to consider:

1. They learn how to do things on their own. When a child is required to help, they begin to learn how to do things on their own. It is imperative that every child begin to gain their independence at some point, and by teaching them at an early age how to help, they start to figure out how to do things on their own.

2. They learn how to do things for others. As your child starts becoming helpful, they not only learn how to do things on their own, but they also learn the importance of doing things for others as well. Remember to share with your child the importance of giving to others, but not giving beyond their means. You don’t want them to become doormats to others, but you do want them to know the importance of helping others.

3. They learn the importance and reason for being helpful. As your child becomes helpful at home, they will quickly grasp the importance of helping out. Being a good helper makes Mom’s afternoon less stressful. Helping Dad with the yard work means they’ll get that Saturday morning fishing trip they’ve been wanting to go own with Dad.

4. They understand how helping others creates a more positive environment for everyone. As stated above, helping around the house means a lot less stress for everyone, and a lot more fun for everyone, too. By being helpful, they will come to understand the give-and-take of daily life.

5. They will use this experience to build upon as they grow older, as they learn how to become self-sufficient and helpful in more areas of their life. When you teach your child how to help out at home, even if it is something as simple as setting the dinner table, this is something they can build on as they grow. Letting your kids help out in the kitchen will eventually lead to them learning how to cook their own meals. Life skills like this one are essential to living a full life as an adult.