Do your children do chores?

[Deleted User]

Having 3 now in their 30-40s, I would say that giving them chores is one of the best things you can do to help prepare them for adulthood. They all had basic chores and when my 16 year old was very short of money I gave her a proper cleaning job in my house ie employed her at wages befitting a very good cleaner. They all learned to cook at home and loved it when they grew old enough to give them free reign re cooking a full meal

Pocket money was earned through cleaning their bedrooms on a saturday

Absolutely worth while and if you start them young enough, so you never have to nag, then it just becomes a way of life

joshieg3011

Forgot to say they also set the table for dinner and help me bring the shopping in. DD also likes helping me chop the veg up for dinner. Cupboards and drawers are a bit messy due to them putting the clean dishes away but they're getting there - my husband is a bit of a perfectionist and you can see the colour draining from his face when he goes into a drawer for something and it's a mess...I don't see the point in going round after them, though - they will get there in the end! You should see the look my son gives me if he's out playing with his friends and I go out the front door and shout "Joshua - dishwasher!"

Am wondering what age they should start doing the ironing;)

Becles

Mine do chores, but they don't do them for payment. I don't get paid for doing housework, so I don't see why anyone else should

They older two have to tidy, hoover and dust their bedrooms on a Saturday morning before they are allowed to play out or use electronics.

I remind them on a Wednesday morning to strip their beds and leave the bed linen in the washing machine. I wash it and dry it, and then they get given it back to put back on their beds on Wednesday evening. That way it gets done as the spares are kept under my bed, so not easily accessible for them.

On an evening the middle one sets and clears the table and the eldest washes the dishes.

Both boys do cooking occasionally and my youngest who is two sometimes stands on a chair and "helps" with cooking. All three have to tidy up their toys on an evening as I don't want to sit among their mess in the sitting room when they've gone to bed.

If they complain they are bored, I give them the hoover or tell them to clean the bathroom or something. Depending on how bored they are, sometimes they help out! If they are after something or in trouble, they do chores off their own back to sweeten me up - sneaky monkeys

shazrobo

my sons(twins aged 14), have always been expected to help put their toys away, right from being very young, we made it into a game. from about 6 they were drying the dishes and putting them away. as they have got older they keep there room tidy, hoover occaionally, wash the car(both love this), help cut the grass, if they are really bored i sometimes have them clean the bathroom.
incidentally, one of them is at a resedential school, 3 nights a week, the other stays over at school just once, (both have disabilities and special needs) and part of the curriculum on resedential is independant living schools, where they shop and cook meals, and recently they have learned to iron.
they dont get paid for doing chores either, why should they?, nobody pays me to clean up either. they do get pocket money for good behaviour tho

newcook

TBH I wish more parents would encourage their children (especially boys) to help with housework/chores - my last 2 boyfriends seemed to be allergic to anything related to tidying/cleaning/putting stuff away because their moms had always done it for them!! Major turn-off!!!!

I used to help around the house (and at my dads when I stayed at weekends) - just little things at first such as put away toys etc and by the time I was 10/11 I was helping peel veg for dinner, feeding the dogs, ironing little things (under supervision) like teatowels etc. If me and my brother wanted to earn extra pocket money we used to wash the windows (obviously not very well but we tried!).

Glamazon

newcook wrote: »

TBH I wish more parents would encourage their children (especially boys) to help with housework/chores - my last 2 boyfriends seemed to be allergic to anything related to tidying/cleaning/putting stuff away because their moms had always done it for them!! Major turn-off!!!

I AGREE :beer:

OH was a nightmare when we moved in together 9 years ago as MIL had done EVERYTHING for him, the minute he finished tea his plate was whisked away, if he went to get a drink she already had it poured and in his hand before he could get out the chair!

9 years on and if I leave him a list of things I want doing (he's not working atm) he'll do them (he doesn't see dust or mess so I have to point it out!) When my MIL comes to our house she insists on doing everything for OH - I let her carry on it saves me and it actually irritates OH because she won't sit still :rolleyes:

My children will be helping out with the housework just like I did - we only got money for doing it around Christmas time when we wanted money to buy gifts for people

loobylou2

I wish I could get my children aged 11, 9 and 3 to help out in the house. They just treat it like its a hotel and never lift a finger to help. When I ask them to do anything at all they just do it so grudgingly its easier to do it myself. If anybody has any ideas on how I could get them to help out I"d be very grateful to hear them because I"ve tried everything, offering pocket money, refusing to do it anymore myself etc etc but they still won"t lift a finger, in fact they seem to be completely disinterested and I"m completely fed up with the situation.

busiscoming2

I don't believe in paying kids to do chores.
I also believe they are children first and foremost.
My 3 had to help tidy their toys away right from the start. They had/have to change their own beds from the age of 14 and do their own ironing from 16. I have encouraged them to help with cooking in order to learn the basics. They have to dust their rooms once they get to about 10, because they usually have ornaments and various other bits of tosh!! I still do door frames and skirting boards etc.

I don't think it is right for kids to always have to help with chores but I have often asked them for help which is usually forthcoming.

Perhaps if I worked full time it may be different.

minibudgetgal

My 12 year old washed and dries all the dishes, and my ten year old feeds all the animals (3 dogs, 3 cats and five chickens). We do pay them for this, but the jobs have to be perfect. The boys are expected to do normal stuff like tidying their room every evening and stripping/making their beds and bringing their laundry down to the utility room.
They complain it's slavery, but we both work full-time and they help make the mess!!!

newcook

loobylou2 wrote: »

I wish I could get my children aged 11, 9 and 3 to help out in the house. They just treat it like its a hotel and never lift a finger to help. When I ask them to do anything at all they just do it so grudgingly its easier to do it myself. If anybody has any ideas on how I could get them to help out I"d be very grateful to hear them because I"ve tried everything, offering pocket money, refusing to do it anymore myself etc etc but they still won"t lift a finger, in fact they seem to be completely disinterested and I"m completely fed up with the situation.

Next time 11 and 9 year old ask if they can go out and play tell them 'as soon as you have done so and so'.

Let them do it grudgingly and don’t give in and do it for them - they have obviously learnt that if they play their face enough about it that you will do it for they - be strong!!! Don’t give in!!!!!