Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Children should be required to help with household tasks as soon as they are able to do so. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
In the past in America, children were valuable workers. For example, they helped on the arm or in the family business in order to bring in money. Just a couple of generations later, attitudes have changed. Now children are hardly expected to work at all. Modern children often don't even do chores. This is sad, because I think that they are missing something if they don't help out at home. Sharing in household tasks benefits children of all ages.
在过去的美国，孩子是有价值的工人。例如，他们帮助手臂或家族企业赚钱。仅仅几代人之后，人们的态度就发生了变化。现在几乎不指望孩子们工作。现代儿童常常不做家务。这很可悲，因为我认为如果他们不在家帮忙的话，他们会失去一些东西。分担家务活对所有年龄段的孩子都有好处。
First of all, household tasks build skills. Very young children learn motor skills and classification skills when they pick up their toys and put them away. Talking about how to do things helps them learn to analyze situations. Older children learn skills they'll need as an adult. Cleaning and cooking may seem dull, but knowing how to do them well makes life a lot easier. How many young adults leave for college unable to do their own laundry or cook anything besides a frozen microwave dinner? It's amazingly common.
首先，家务活能培养技能。很小的孩子在捡起玩具并把它们收起来的时候就学会了运动技能和分类技能。谈论如何做事有助于他们学会分析情况。大一点的孩子学习他们成年后需要的技能。打扫卫生和做饭似乎很枯燥，但知道如何把它们做好会让生活轻松很多。有多少年轻人去上大学，除了一顿冷冻的微波炉晚餐外，连自己洗衣服或做饭都做不成？这是一个惊人的普遍现象。
When everyone in a family helps out, the family is happier. Nowadays it's common for both parents to work . when they come home, they have more work to do. Life is stressful and there's no time for fun. By sharing household tasks, everyone gains. Children can help their parents with simple tasks such as picking up their own rooms, putting away their own laundry, starting dinner occasionally, or taking care of younger siblings. Then the family can relax together, and parent won't feel like servants to their “couch potato” offspring.
当一个家庭中的每个人都帮忙时，这个家庭会更幸福。现在父母双方都工作是很常见的。当他们回家时，他们有更多的工作要做。生活充满压力，没有时间去娱乐。通过分担家务，每个人都会受益。孩子们可以帮助父母做一些简单的事情，比如收拾自己的房间，自己洗衣服，偶尔开始吃饭，或者照顾弟弟妹妹。这样，一家人就可以一起放松了，父母就不会觉得自己是“沙发土豆”后代的仆人了。
The most important thing children learn from helping with household tasks is responsibility. Handling everyday tasks teaches organization and time management skills. Children learn that chores have to be completed before they can play, or before they get their allowances. Children who understand that effort pays off will be more successful later in life.
孩子们从帮助做家务中学到的最重要的东西就是责任。处理日常工作教会组织和时间管理技能。孩子们知道，家务事必须在他们能玩之前完成，或者在他们得到零用钱之前完成。懂得努力会有回报的孩子在以后的生活中会更成功。
Kids should not work all the time. A happy life needs balance. But if they can successfully handle tasks at home, they will handle life better too. They will know the satisfaction of doing a good job, be involved in family life, and become more confident and responsible adults.
孩子不应该一直工作。幸福的生活需要平衡。但如果他们能在家里成功地完成任务，他们也会更好地处理生活。他们会知道做好工作的满足感，会参与到家庭生活中，会变得更加自信和负责任