Ben, a 14-year-old boy, used to be a lazy boy. In his own words, he hardly did any housework. But now, things have changed. Washing dishes, cooking and making his bed… all of these chores have become a part of his daily life.
This big change is the result of a new program at his school. Starting from last term, Da Zhou No. 1 Middle School has made housework part of its students' homework, in order to improve their life skills.
At the beginning of each month, every student gets a list of housework to do every weekend. Their parents help them keep track(轨迹) of their performance. Some of the tasks are quite specific(具体的), such as cleaning out bookcases, washing cups and cooking food. On holidays like Mother's Day, students are asked to prepare gifts for their mothers.
Wang Yixi, 13, has learned several life skills through the program, including cooking. "I used to be afraid of fire," she said. But she tried her best to surmount her fear and complete cooking tasks.
At the same time, she also learned how tired her mother gets after doing housework every day. On Mother's Day, she made a cake for her mother to show her thanks. "I've begun to better understand my parents and want to help them more," she said.
