Topic:
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
Children should be required to help with household tasks as soon as they are able.
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
Sample TOEFL essay answer:
We are born into a complex, demanding world. From infancy to adulthood lies a period in which we must prepare for the responsibilities and obligations of communal living. Although childhood should be a period of relative freedom, in my view it also needs to provide a strong preparation for the future. From this perspective, assigning household tasks to children is beneficial from a personal, social and economic point of view.
Personally, children need to learn the value of responsibility. Parents should involve children in household chores such as dusting furniture, raking leaves, washing dishes and so on. By including youngsters in this way, parents acknowledge the children s ability to contribute meaningfully to the smooth running of the home. What s more, such tasks teach them about being reliable, working efficiently and developing integrity. This early training strengthens their self-images and self-confidence.
Socially, young people need to be absorbed into the social nexus. While developing independence is a desirable trait, it is equally important to realize that we live in an interdependent world. Our decisions, choices and actions affect others around us. When a child sets the table he / she not only learns how to create an aesthetically pleasing dining environment, but also that guests are to be honoured and appreciated. Such experiences are a part of the socialization process whereby social and cultural norms are passed on to future generations.
Economically, children need to understand the connection between effort and reward. Initially, when children are young the compensation for their efforts may be in the form of a warm hug, a word of praise or a public compliment. Later, parents may link pocket money to the performance of household duties. This arrangement allows youngsters to realize that by exchanging their free time for work, they can earn money to buy the things they like. In this way, young people develop a strong sense of the financial realities that await them.
In conclusion, participating in household duties and chores is beneficial at myriad levels. Most important, it enables children and youngsters to understand the philosophical equation that to receive, we must also give.
(351 words)
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