IELTS Essay: Responsibilities

Vocabulary

What do the words in bold below mean? Make some notes on paper to aid memory and then check below.

Many today have argued for the importance of children having greater responsibility in the home. I am generally in agreement with this position, though it should naturally not be taken to extremes.

Critics of such an approach maintain that it can overburden young children. In many societies around the world today, children are under immense pressure at school to perform well academically. In many Asian countries, for example, young children must study at school until the late afternoon, have dinner, and then take additional classes before doing their homework each night. If these students were also tasked with cleaning the house or washing their own clothes, they simply would not have enough time to complete all their responsibilities and rest for the next day.

However, increased responsibility encourages greater maturity and self-reliance. A child who must ensure their room is clean and takes part in either cooking or cleaning up afterwards better understands the importance of time management and how to run a household. In contrast, some parents are overly protective of their children and do not instill traits related to independence. If a child grows up and attends university without a variety of life skills or the maturity that comes from looking after themselves, then they will likely struggle to adjust and may be viewed as childish by their peers.

In conclusion, though there must be logical limits to the amount of work that children should do in the home, it is an advisable approach overall to increase a child’s sense of responsibility. The benefits later in life justify any potential fatigue.