Ayesha Curry started her journey as a mother at a young age.
The 36-year-old chef and businesswoman married her husband, NBA player Steph Curry, when she was just 22, she said on a recent episode of the “Call Her Daddy” podcast. And though they didn’t plan on having kids immediately, Curry got pregnant with their oldest daughter within months.
“I was thinking we were going to be, like, bar hopping,” she said. “It’s like, nope, you’re pregnant.”
The couple now has four kids ages one to 13. Curry shared anecdotes about her life as a mother, like the time she found some of her intimate apparel in her son’s pocket.
When asked about a time when she bribed her kids to get them to do something she wanted them to do, she laughed and said, “my 13-year-old, Riley, and my niece, Ava, I paid them $20 to clean up the kitchen and the living room.”
Experts support giving kids these types of chores.
‘It teaches them useful skills for when they’re on their own’
There’s evidence that assigning kids household tasks improves their quality of life.
A study of 9,971 children published in the Journal of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics in 2018 found that kindergarten kids who were given chores had better relationships with their peers, performed better in school and had greater life satisfaction in third grade.
“Giving our children more chores not only helps them become responsible, it teaches them useful skills for when they’re on their own,” Margot Machol Bisnow, author of “Raising an Entrepreneur: How to Help Your Children Achieve Their Dream,” previously wrote for CNBC Make It.
Help us help you: Take our survey on work, money and life goals
Wharton professor and bestselling author Adam Grant agrees. “Giving kids responsibility shows trust and builds character,” he wrote in a recent LinkedIn post.
The Child Development Institute suggests giving preschool-aged kids chores such as making the bed without supervision, watering flowers and clearing the table. The institute recommends giving teenagers chores such as cleaning out the fridge, babysitting younger siblings and taking care of pets.
Curry herself was given responsibilities as a child — though, she wasn’t compensated for it. “Back in my day, I wouldn’t have had that opportunity,” she said about paying her kid to do the chore. “I would’ve just had to do it.”
Want to stand out, grow your network, and get more job opportunities? Sign up for Smarter by CNBC Make It’s new online course, How to Build a Standout Personal Brand: Online, In Person, and At Work. Learn from three expert instructors how to showcase your skills, build a stellar reputation, and create a digital presence that AI can’t replicate. Sign up today with coupon code EARLYBIRD for an introductory discount of 30% off the regular course price of $67 (plus tax). Offer valid July 22, 2025, through September 2, 2025.
Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It’s newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life, and request to join our exclusive community on LinkedIn to connect with experts and peers.
