How much do your kids do around the house?

lbnblbnb wrote: »

There is an article in the Guardian http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/family/story/0,,2158343,00.html today about different families attitudes to kids responsibilities around the house. I like the OS way of doing things, and I hope to bring my children up to be willing to get things done rather than use ready meals etc. I was wondering what the rest of you expect from your kids and how easy you find it to get them to help? These are the suggested ages and tasks from the article:

What children should do ... and when
Age 2-3: Put toys away (be realistic and make it fun), hang up coats and put away shoes.
4-5: Get dressed, pick up clothes from the floor. Help to clear and lay the table.
6-7: Make their own beds, keep their room tidy, help to prepare vegetables (no sharp knives).
8-9: Make a simple meal or snack, for example some pasta, including putting everything away afterwards.
10-11: Put their dirty clothes in the laundry and their clean clothes away, help with washing-up.
12-13: Clean their own room, help with vacuuming and dusting. Unload the dishwasher, be able to put a wash on.
14-15: Wash the car, sometimes shop for food, occasionally make a family meal, wash their own clothes.

A little bit of this to help the get the skills that they need for life but hey! Due to the nature of our ever changing society they are not children for long.

My 2.5yr old, tidies her toys and puts her coat and shoes away, she also helps with the setting or clearing of the table (sometimes I fear for my crockery). We have just started implementing that J feeds the cat in the mornings he only has dry food so she just has to get a clean bowl from the cupboard and tip some food in it, its only been happening a week by already Henry is going to beg from her so thats one less job for me in the mornings. She will make her bed in her own way and is attempting to get herself dressed as well.

Less than is on that list. For me it's a little different with an 8 year old with Autism, inc very poor motor skills who bounces when excited, bit of a nightmare in the kitchen :rotfl: just imagine look cooked pasta and he gets excited and bounces with the pan. He will help get things from the fridge for his lunch, thankfully not keen on eggs as he drops a lot of it. Sometimes he's the recipe reader, sits at the bench reading out the recipe which is still getting him involved, until it's a new recipe and he misses a line then things sometimes go pearshaped. He tries to dress himself if I put everything in order but usually needs a little help. I let him take clothes upstairs and just follow picking up what he dropped, he will usually help tidy his room, he can't manage to put sheets on bed alone but will help.

DS2 is bigger and stronger than most 6 year olds, he helps moving furniture when vacuuming etc usually. Tried letting him loose with it but anything not fastened down gets vacuumed up. He loves helping in the kitchen, sometimes too much lol. Tidying up is where he moans sometimes. Dresses himself mostly but I have to put things out in order for him (many times he has come home from school saying he had to get changed for PE in toilets as he had no pants on!) He'll usually help make his bed and take laundry up etc. He gets the dogs bowls for me on a morning and I fill them, he puts them down, or the dogs would end up starved or overfed, even with a measure he puts either too much or little in. Sometimes goes to the local shop for milk (no roads and not far from us), he took his own money one day and I didn't say to get milk but he came back with it :rotfl: maybe I was sending him too often. He's much more helpful usually but over the hols has dwindled a little. He was doing washing up after breakfast but has since lost interest.

lbnblbnb wrote: »

What children should do ... and when
Age 2-3: Put toys away (be realistic and make it fun), hang up coats and put away shoes.
4-5: Get dressed, pick up clothes from the floor. Help to clear and lay the table.
6-7: Make their own beds, keep their room tidy, help to prepare vegetables (no sharp knives). .

I'm pleased to see that i've trained my kids to do about what the Guardian article suggests. Aged 3 (nearly 4) and 5, I am just currently trying to get them to fold back their duvet on their beds in a morning and tidy bedroom before coming downstairs in a morning. They'd prepare vegetables now if the mood takes them.....

my children are 9 and 11

my eldest hoovers downstairs every other day and for this she receives £1.25 a week

my other child empties the DW every morning and for this receives £1.50 a week

i also expect them to put coats shoes and bags away each day - never happens with shoes !! - put there dirty laundry in basket - everything goes in even if only been worn for an hour !! - and put there clean laundry away - bit hit and miss on that one

my eldest will make cold lunches snacks and toasted sandwiches for lunch and they will both make me a hot drink if i ask

not alot really and certainly a hell of a lot less than i had to do at there age