Aussie doctor says toddlers must do chores to avoid mental health struggles
Dr Daniel Golshevsky encourages parents to give toddlers chores as young as 14-months old.
An Australian paediatrician is advocating for infants as young as 14-months old to be given chores to help build their "mental resilience" as the country continues to suffer in a not-so-silent mental health epidemic.
Recent figures suggest more than 42 per cent of Aussies have suffered from a mental health disorder at some point in their life and Dr Daniel Golshevsky believes the parents who adopt his "fail-safe trick" are helping to protect their children in the future.
"Toddlers have this natural developing autonomy from a very young age, in fact, much younger than most parents give credit," the paediatrician, who goes by Dr Golly, told Yahoo News Australia. "Something as mundane as unpacking the dishwasher gives the child a true sense of autonomy and contribution ... your child is often at dishwasher height anyway."
'Challenges are all relative', expert says
Toddlers who help with chores, such as cleaning dishes or doing laundry, are more likely to gain a stronger sense of self and possess a higher degree of confidence, which will in turn help them moving forward, Dr Golly said.
"Challenges are all relative. So a challenge for an adult may be dealing with unemployment, a similarly stressful challenge for a child may be reaching the toy on the shelf," Dr Golly said. "You are teaching them skills that can be used in any situation."
"Especially post pandemic and in the aftermath of lockdowns, where we're seeing mental health problems largely contributed to by the lack of resilience, and people are realising now that children are lacking resilience too ... Empower them from a very, very young age."
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Parents are reminded to be patient with their children as "double handling" and "breakages" are expected as they learn something new with their youngsters, however, the paediatrician — and co-founder of the Toddler Toolkit — stands firms on his belief there will be a rewarding pay off.
Unprecedented spike in child mental health issues
With the rising cost of living and ongoing rental crisis placing mounting pressure on adults, it is believed these factors are currently having a knock-on impact for Aussie children.
Research released by Kids Helpline last month suggested that an unprecedented number of children are seeking assistance — with the organisation responding to over 2,000 reports where children were at "immediate risk of suicide" between July 1, 2022 and June 30 this year.
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