Do your children do chores?

sammie383

My daughter just turned 2 in march there, but she does little things already! She tidies up her toys before dinner, and puts her dirty clothes in the wash basket. She also likes to help put all the clothes in the washing machine! She will also put her dinner plate/breakfast bowl in the sink afterwards.

DD likes to help out, and I want it to continue this way so that there are no arguements in the future about doing chores. They all have to be done by somebody!

jinky67

My kids always did little things when wee

My DS, now 16, used to love dusting, so i let him do it

DD ( 8 ) used to pick everything up off the carpet and put it away

Shame neither of them kept it up really:cool:

Kaz2904

Mine are 5&7 and they are expected to do whatever jobs they are handed.
Their washing has to be brought downstairs. I then wash dry and iron it. I fold it and separate it into piles. They then have to take it upstairs to put away. DS can't reach to put his stuff in the wardrobe so often DD will do that for him while he carries hers upstairs. Or she'll do it while he brings our stuff up. They both like hoovering and sweeping the kitchen floor. DS loves peeling veg and DD likes chopping it. DD is quite good at folding washing and puts a lot of effort into doing it right. They get £10 per month pocket money but that is their pocket money. They get that regardless and it's to save up for the things that I don't want to buy for them (like go gos!).
I often get complaints because their friends aren't expected to do it but I point out that their friends Mums don't work and I do. They have realised though that if we all crack on and chip in, stuff gets done quicker and they can go out to play. If they don't help then they don't get to go out they get to sit listening to me going on at them to do their jobs and I keep at it until they're done.

jellyhead

My 12 year old has friends who don't even take their own rubbish to the bin! They sit in front of the playstation eating crisps and chocolate, and then their mums pick up all the litter for them :eek:

sunshine_shell

I'm a secondary school teacher and some of the stories i hear are shocking, there is one boy in year 7 who does nothing!!!! and i mean nothing his mum and dad do everything for him.

It helps me make sure that my children when i have them will be doing jobs around the house!!

loobylou2

Think I might try and get my children to read these replies to see if it might make a difference, I work full time and they still just will not help out. It drives me mad because they make an awful lot of the mess but still refuse to help clean it up and I don't think I"m being unreasonable in asking for their help.

Sian_the_Green

busiscoming2 wrote: »

I still do door frames and skirting boards etc.

You're supposed to clean door frames and skirting boards

jellyhead

loobylou2 wrote: »

Think I might try and get my children to read these replies to see if it might make a difference, I work full time and they still just will not help out. It drives me mad because they make an awful lot of the mess but still refuse to help clean it up and I don't think I"m being unreasonable in asking for their help.

I saw somebody on here a year or 2 ago saying she'd started to pick up all of the mess and dump it on the kitchen table, then everyone is told that anything that's not put away before the meal is ready gets binned!

If my children moan about clearing their own things away I ask if they'd prefer for it to be thrown away and I have done that before now, just chucked something because nobody wants to put it away, or they say it doesn't have a place.

Your children are younger than mine. I expect a bit of teenage rebellion but for younger children I'd force them to help out, by throwing away their toys, not letting them have pocket money and using pocket money to pay for anything that needed to be replaced after I'd thrown it away, a school tie for example.

I'm very strict about screen time and treats - my 12 year old knows if I asked him to clear up and he didn't do it within a reasonable time frame (if he's watching something on TV then he can wait until it finishes etc.) then he'd be on a gaming ban, wouldn't be allowed to watch his choice of TV (no TV in the childrens rooms here, we share the one in the sitting room) and would not be allowed any treats for the next 24 hours (a chocolate bar in his schoolbag for breaktime, for example, or a bag of crisps for supper).

brians_daughter

chores instil a sense of pride (eventually) in kids! My 10 yo gets pocket money for keeping his room clean, then if he wants extra he helps wash the car or wash up etc, he is very much aware of the value of money and tends to not fritter it away as he has worked so 'hard' for it

lolababy

Loobyloo Id start turning off the tv, take away games toys ect and only give them back once they have helped out. Also ground them until they have done as you have asked.
Have a reward chart and the one with the most stars has a treat. Arrange days out but only go if everyone has done all of their chores for the month.