Mom Shares Why She Makes Her 2-Year-Old Son Do Chores, Sparking Debate
She wants to teach her son about gender equality.
TikTok A mother bought some cleaning supplies claiming that they were toys for her 2-year-old son but received a lot of criticism from internet users.
Teaching your children about gender equality is important, but many people didn't believe this was the way to do it.
In a TikTok video, the mother says she bought her son cleaning supplies to teach him chores aren’t just for girls.
Aside from just teaching her son to clean, the mother says it was important for her son to get used to doing tasks that were traditionally assigned to women.
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Her viral video shows glimpses of several toys the mother bought for her son.
One of the things the mother bought was a mini cleaning set which included a mop, a broom and a dustpan. Other toys included a vacuum cleaner, figurines of food and baby dolls.
She wrote in a caption, “Toys I have for my son so he knows that housework, cooking, and taking care of babies isn’t just for girls.”
The mother wants to teach her son from a young age that house chores and taking care of kids are responsibilities that everyone has regardless of their gender.
Anyone would think that such a choice would be a good way to raise children and teach them about gender equality, but people seem to have a problem with this mother’s choice of toys for her son.
In the caption of the video, the mother mentioned that people seem to have issues with the toys, especially the baby dolls.
TikTokers thought it was weird for the mother to buy those toys for her toddler son.
Many people were against the mother's decision to let her 2-year-old son play with the toys.
People thought babies are too young to learn about adult ways and argued that the 2-year-old kid was still too young to help out around the house.
“[To be honest] this shouldn’t be a [thing] with girls or boys it just is a [little] weird,” one user wrote, “like giving children (boy or girl) toys that mimic adult chores, work, childcare, etc, you know it kinda rubs me the wrong way.”
The TikTok user clarified that it’s alright for the kids to help out with the house chores but they shouldn’t feel like they need to do it.
After reading similar comments, the mother felt that she needed to speak up.
The mother posted a follow-up video with her sons using the toys.
The follow-up video shows the TikToker’s kids playing with their toys. The kids can be seen using the mini vacuum cleaner.
The toddler can also be seen doing chores like the laundry, feeding his younger sibling and helping out with cooking.
The kids seem to be enjoying doing all the chores the entire time and can be seen taking the initiative to do things.
The mother also added the caption, “Kids love mimicking their parents.”
The mother also mentioned in the comments section that her son usually also helps out in clearing the table at dinner.
She adds that she hopes to raise her children the right way, writing, “We're raising helpful, responsible people.”
Many people felt it was heartwarming for the little kids to be helping their mother out with housework. One user wrote, "It’s never too young to start. Mine was 1 also when he started. Good job mama."
People commended the mother for her decision and let her know that she is doing the right thing.
Sanika Nalgirkar is a News & Entertainment Writer based in India. She has a master's degree in Creative Writing. See more of her writing on her website.