Pediatrician and a dad of five shares his secret behind raising healthy and happy kids

Parenting is probably the most difficult, full-time unpaid job. The vast realm of the internet is flooded with countless tips and hacks on parenting, which can often overwhelm new parents rather than offering practical assistance. So, it's better if we take some expert's advice. Dr. Williams—who goes by @tiktokkiddoc on TikTok—is breaking down the tedious-looking task called parenting into a few simple pointers.

"Having your child do chores gives them a sense of self-worth," Williams explains in a now-viral video. "It helps them to realize they're contributing to a larger ecosystem. They become more selfless. They become more willing and able to see the needs of other people around them. Hand that kid a toilet brush and watch the college scholarships roll in."

Dr. Williams is a board-certified pediatrician based in Utah and he often shares videos about children's health and parenting on the social media platform. One of his recent videos has garnered viral popularity with over 987k views and counting. In this particular video, he shared his secrets to raising happy kids who are more likely to grow into successful adults. The doctor himself is also a father of five children and his tips comes both from his clinical as well as personal experience.

"Parents are always looking for quick, easy ways to help their kids grow up happy and well-rounded, and having your child help around the house could be a perfect place to start," he told TODAY while explaining why all parents should implement one crucial thing while trying to improve the lives of their offsprings. While doing chores, children tend to become helpful to others as well.

"Kids that are expected to help out around the house start to naturally, see the needs of people around them and they become less self-centered," he continued. "Children aren't born with empathy and it can take time to develop. In the meantime, they may view themselves as the center of the universe." Any child who is developing cognitive abilities starts to realize that other people have different thoughts and experiences. Doing chores can help a growing child to have this realization earlier.

"The advantage of chores is seeing you're not just a silo that the world revolves around. In addition to building more empathy, chores help instill a better work ethic and foster a pitch-in mindset," Dr. Williams further explained. "Obviously, a better work ethic is going to translate into school and career success." In the words of this pediatrician, children need to feel a sense of togetherness in a family. "It's something parents can do for free that's going to have obvious long-term benefits to their kid," he stressed.

He also referred to the findings of an old study from researchers at Harvard University, where he noted how the study (formerly called Grant Study) found that people who did more chores at a younger age often had more professional success and happiness later in life. "Consistency is key," Dr. Williams added at the end. "We don't want to overload kids." Well, for the parents who feel that parenting is an uphill battle, they should know almost every other parent around the globe shares mutual feeling about raising a kid and the difficulties that come along with it. "Most people are doing better than they think. So I think parents can cut themselves some slack if they're trying because we're all just doing the best we can," he concluded.