The housework that actually means something- ie the smudges, weeds, socks, and wrappers- don't get done without making them. That's what I meant.

Well, I haven't seen any correlation between the kids studying/doing homework and it mattering.
The little kids won't do homework on their own without prompting, but you praise 'em a couple times once they get around 11 or 12, but they'll start doing it all the time. It got to the point with my first slot/generation that they were dropping collectibles to go do homework.