Pediatrician and father of 5 shares his No. 1 secret to raise happy, successful kids

Do you want to raise happy kids who grow into successful adults? Dr. Williams, board-certified pediatrician and father of five, shared his "unexpected secret" that can help you achieve this goal. It's doing chores!

"The idea is that when children feel involved in shared responsibilities, they realize they're contributing to part of a larger ecosystem, and there's a real sense of self-worth that comes from that," Williams tells TODAY.com. Here are some benefits of getting your kids involved in household chores.

When your child helps you around the house, they tend to become more willing and able to help others with time. Of course, it might have an opposite and negative impact on them if you push them to do chores that are outside their capacity or will. Nurturing the ability to become a helpful person will also make them less self-centered.

Initially, a child is at the center of their world. However, involving them in certain activities, such as helping with simple chores around the house, can help make them more emphatic and develop their cognitive abilities to realize that people have different thoughts, experiences and needs, Williams notes.

Chores can also help instill a better work ethic and foster a “pitch-in mindset," explains Williams. "Obviously, a better work ethic is going to translate into school and career success," says Williams.

It is important to encourage chores in a more team-work format where you also appreciate your child once they finish a chore. make sure you are not harsh or rude as studies have found that harsh home environments are linked to negative academic trajectories and behavioral orientations such as aggression, hyperactivity, impulsiveness. None of these are linked with happiness or success.

Chores can help strengthen family bonds. "When there’s a sense of 'we’re all in this together' as a family, there’s some real magic to it," says Williams, adding, “It’s something parents can do for free that’s going to have obvious long-term benefits to their kid.”

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Some examples of these daily chores you can do with your kid include sweeping and mopping the floor, meal preparation, washing dishes, watering plants, feeding pets and cleaning daily trash.

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