Moms Talk: Kids and Chores

Once upon a time, chores were an integral part of bringing up children.

Remember reading "Farmer Boy" and seeing all the chores Almanzo, Royal, Alice and Eliza Jane had to do on the family farm before breakfast? No wonder Almanzo could eat stacks of pancakes followed by apple pie, and still be hungry well before lunchtime. And then they had to do more after school. Kids today read stories like that as ancient history.

Are chores still an integral part of childhood? Or are kids doing fewer, if any, chores today?

Now, parenting magazines, websites and columnists weigh in regularly on the issue of children and chores.

Chores are good for kids, experts say, because it teaches them respect for others, gives them a role in family life, shows them how to be responsible, and teaches them how to take care of themselves and their stuff.

Very few parents would come out and say chores are bad. But they can be a chore for parents. Deciding what chores kids should do and getting kids to do them can be a battle. And, for parents squeezed between work, home, their kids' crowded schedules and other responsibilities like taking care of their elderly parents, it's sometimes easier to let the chores thing go.

Let's hear about your experience with chores. What has worked for you? What mistakes did you learn from? Do your kids try to weasel out of chores by tantrums, or by doing chores poorly in an act of passive-aggression? Have you ever just said, "The heck with it, it's easier to just do it myself?" Do you tie chores with allowance? What was the chore you hated doing most as a kid? Do you think kids' activities like sports and clubs interfere with chores?

As always, joining us on Moms Talk is our wonderful Moms Council:

 is our parenting columnist. Julie, a longtime reporter and communications professional, is a first-time mom of a son born in November.

 works in healthcare. She and husband Timothy have a daughter, Amara. Monina is also a member of the Disney Moms Panel, one of 15 moms selected nationwide, advising people online about planning Disney vacations.

 is a mom of three children ages 5 and under with her husband, Bill. She also works part-time.

 is a native of New Jersey. She is a marketing professional who has worked in advertising, market research, vending and equipment companies. She and her husband live in Avon with their two children.

 is a mom to a Girl Scout and lives in Avon.

So, as Linda Richman used to say on "Coffee Talk" ... Talk amongst yourselves.