Tag Page TeacherWisdom

“Thank you” makes chores easier

I'm a teacher. Every year, a parent tells me: “I don’t thank my kid for chores. I expect them to help.” Then they wonder why their teen argues about every little task. Meanwhile, those same teens go above and beyond in my class. Why? Because I say thank you. Constantly. I thank them for answering questions. I thank them for helping classmates. I thank them for cleaning up after labs. I thank them for showing up. And you know what? It works. Gratitude builds respect—and motivation. My mom always said “thank you” when we did chores. And we always did them—sometimes without being asked. We thanked her for cooking dinner. That became our normal. A home culture of “thank you” doesn’t make you soft. It makes your kid feel seen. If you want more cooperation and less conflict, try this small shift. It’s free. It’s powerful. And it just might change everything. #ParentingTips #TeacherWisdom #SayThankYou #TeenBehavior #PositiveDiscipline