How much do your kids do around the house?

meanmarie

When all my seven were at home they were expected to do things around the house, in an age appropriate manner...clearing and laying table, filling and emptying dishwasher, from about age 10 do their own washing and when they went to secondary school do their ironing as well...I washed towels and stripped and washed bedding but they had to make their own beds. They were all encouraged to cook, can't remember from what age, but would not have been generally expected to cook meals for family. Kitchen and living room were cleared of their clutter as they went to bed.

Much of the reason that I felt it important that the children help around the house and learn to look after themselves was that I was an only child for eight years and was never asked to do anything up to the time I got married at 25...of course being a lazy *it*h helped with that! Consequently, I could make pastry, a sponge etc but couldn't figure out how to get meat, veg and potatoes ready at the same time and have always found it extremely difficult to follow any kind of schedule in the house. I reckon that at 14/15 any youngster should be able to physically look after themselves, including cook meals, this helps their independance and self confidence IMHO

The fact that I am 62 and that many of my contemporaries were out doing a full day's work at 14 may be influencing my opinion, so just feel sorry for me if you must!

Marie

DebtphobicDeirdre

My 15yr old DS has had a right old strop on this morning for being asked to tidy his room. His reasons are

1. Its HIS room.
2. Its ABNORMAL for teen boys to have tidy rooms.
3. ALL his friends have messy rooms.
4. I should give more notice as room tidying takes AGES.
5. Messy room has NEVER caused health problem.
6. Its the holidays, he is supposed to be RESTING.
7. He isn't allowed a TV in his room so WHY should he do anything for me!

Should I give up, should I leave home or should I take to drink?

JoeyEmma

DebtphobicDeirdre wrote: »

Should I give up, should I leave home or should I take to drink?

Hit the gin!!!!!!!!!!

Ches

My biggest bugbare is trying to get them to wash regularly:eek: any suggestions gratefully recieved!:rolleyes: [/quote]

My 15 yr old GS has been staying with me for 3 days and I don't think he has added much to the metered water bill.

tiff

How do you actually get them to do things without having to nag all the time? Mine are 7 and 9, and everything is an effort. They leave clothes lying around on the floor and toys etc and dont keep their rooms tiday despite me keeping on to them for years.

Ches

DebtphobicDeirdre wrote: »

My 15yr old DS has had a right old strop on this morning for being asked to tidy his room. His reasons are

1. Its HIS room.
2. Its ABNORMAL for teen boys to have tidy rooms.
3. ALL his friends have messy rooms.
4. I should give more notice as room tidying takes AGES.
5. Messy room has NEVER caused health problem.
6. Its the holidays, he is supposed to be RESTING.
7. He isn't allowed a TV in his room so WHY should he do anything for me!

Should I give up, should I leave home or should I take to drink?

When the children were still at home we had these rules.

1. I never went in their bedroom ( I knocked if I needed to contact then while they were in there) so never knew if it was messy or not but they were told that if the dirt ever came under the door into my part of the house there would be trouble. When hoovering the other bedrooms I used to call out to ask if they needed to use the hoover while it was upstairs and if the answer was no that was it. (This was in the days before TV, PC's and Playstations in bedrooms so I didn't have to worry about the amount of useage of those).

2. I never ironed for anyone in the house over the age of 14 yrs.

3. I only washed what was in the laundry basket I never went looking for their dirty stuff. Tough if they wanted anything that was left in the bedroom.

Anastacia

My boys did plenty around the house to help as a matter of course when they were younger but not so much now (ages 15 & 17) although if i ask them then they usually do. College, outside activities & work conspire to make meal times staggered which is probably part of it. I make meals for them them and wash (and dry) their clothes etc but clothes must be put in the wash or it stays dirty. Dishes must be put in the dishwasher or i wont leave yummy dinners in the fridge. There are no TVs etc in rooms & their rooms are tips but they are their rooms so as long as they muck them out periodically its okay with me. I think we pretty much have the balance between teaching them skills they will need & obsessing about the trivial. In a coiuple of years when they have gone i will probably miss the awful music, the constant visitors & the mess that follows them everywhere. ah,well.

taplady

Ches wrote: »

My biggest bugbare is trying to get them to wash regularly:eek: any suggestions gratefully recieved!:rolleyes:

My 15 yr old GS has been staying with me for 3 days and I don't think he has added much to the metered water bill.[/quote]

sounds like my house! I put toothpaste on their brushes at the beginning of the week to see how often they cleaned their teeth and it was still there this morning:eek: needless to say words were said on the subject!:rolleyes: told DS17 he wasnt leaving the house until he'd been in the shower(last one 4 days ago:rolleyes: )

Rosemary7391

I'm 16, I keep my room/study in a reasonable state (hampered by people promisng new bookshelves and leaving them half built in there.....) I hoover downstairs during the holidays (term time I don't have the time without disturbing TV time!) And I cook a meal once a week. It never occured to me to not put clothes in the laundry, as my mom doesn't go looking either! I do minor shopping trips as well during the holidays. (Morning paper girl methinks!) I don't actually get paid for any of this, though I do get fed and have house room.

~daisy~_2

tiff wrote: »

How do you actually get them to do things without having to nag all the time? Mine are 7 and 9, and everything is an effort. They leave clothes lying around on the floor and toys etc and dont keep their rooms tiday despite me keeping on to them for years.

i do have to nag all the time !!! it does get very boring doesnt it ?