Chores for children

bossymoo

Mine are almost 6 and 7.5

They are expected to bring their plates etc back to the kitchen, put dirty clothes in the correct basket (lights and darks) and to tidy their toys away when asked (bedrooms and downstairs if they've spread out).

They also help with the dusting and we have a rechargeable sweeper - both seem to enjoy that, lol, plus they like to spray and wipe the table and kitchen counters after cooking.

I encourage them to help when I'm cleaning (they helped me vac and wash the car this week) but generally do the bathrooms myself.

Oh, they also put the wheelie bin out and away. And coats and shoes not just flung on the hall floor.

I tend to give them things they quite like doing, in the hope that by teenage-dom they will be habits

Overall I'm pretty happy with what they do, and they seem to be too, providing we all do stuff together. They tend to do their rooms together, and I pitch in too so no-one gets "lonely" or distracted...

jackomdj

We have a chart (when we stick to it).

They need to make beds, tidy playroom, tidy bedroom daily. (X amount of pocket money if it is done at least 5/7 days)
They get 20p for little chores, load dishwasher, unload dishwasher, do dishes, set table, hang washing, clean their bathroom etc.
They get -20p for other bits to go with attitude, bickering, back chatting etc.
They then have the money they have earns for sweets, magazines etc.
When we first started our youngest was gutted that her sister had money but she didn't.

stroodes

Oh my god I feel so ashamed mine do nothing. 21 and 14 but me and hubby chose to have them and feel blessed although throttling is tempted at times.

System

stroodes wrote: »

Oh my god I feel so ashamed mine do nothing. 21 and 14 but me and hubby chose to have them and feel blessed although throttling is tempted at times.

I never did chores. My mum liked to clean, and by that i mean everything had to be done to her standard and if it wasn't she'd do it till it was, so chores were somewhat pointless. Though out of 4 of us 3 are great with their own chores now we've reached adulthood.

FBaby

Chores are the one issue in my family that brings most conflict. My two now teenagers seem to think that they live in a prison the way they react to my asking them to get on with chores. I thought I raised them well setting up age appropriate tasks ever since they were little, using rewarding charts etc... but for as long as I can remember it is source of arguments and grumbles. I am so fed up with it!

The only think they are expected to do is keep their rooms half decent ie. no food, bowls etc... bring their dirty clothes and beck up when washed and ironed and do the dishes alternate days just left to drain. This is usually done poorly and pots need doing again, glasses left on the side (because they are used again except they never are out come another glass), food stuff left in the sink.

Rooms are onlydone badly after 8
I make serious threats, need to tell them 10 times every week to take their clothes up. My friends say their teenagers are the same and I should count myself lucky as at least they get on with their homework without ever needing prompting and to them to high standard (so why not do the same with chores! ). Frankly I am so fed up with it feel at times that's all our communication comes down to.

New school year new resolutions and rules but I am tired of still having to treat them like toddlers after so many years of training!

Kynthia

stroodes wrote: »

Oh my god I feel so ashamed mine do nothing. 21 and 14 but me and hubby chose to have them and feel blessed although throttling is tempted at times.

I don't understand that? Surely it's all part of teaching them responsibility and that they are capable (they get a sense of achievement when they learn something new and progress to a more grown - up or complex task), teaching them the skills they'll need as a grown-up, to be part of the family and what the family needs to do, to appreciate what their parents do for them and not to take them for granted, etc.

Some young people couldn't cope when they first left home; lived in filth (not necessarily messy no proper cleaning), couldn't work a washing machine or iron, had never scrubbed a toilet, and couldn't cook inexpensive or healthy meals so they spent a fortune on fattening convenience food. I don't know why they'd never been taught.

indsty

I had 3 boys, they never did "chores". We were a family, we lived in the same home, we communicated and did things together as a family. They never considered they were doing "chores" whilst helping their mum or dad to do things which needed to be done. They knew that a home needed looking after and from the age of 2 were happy to be helping. They grew up looking after their own bedrooms, sorting their own washing, drying dishes etc etc, because that is just how we did things.

peachyprice

Kynthia wrote: »

I don't understand that? Surely it's all part of teaching them responsibility and that they are capable (they get a sense of achievement when they learn something new and progress to a more grown - up or complex task), teaching them the skills they'll need as a grown-up, to be part of the family and what the family needs to do, to appreciate what their parents do for them and not to take them for granted, etc.

Why do you think none of those things can be achieved other than by forcing young children to do chores?

peachyprice

indsty wrote: »

I had 3 boys, they never did "chores". We were a family, we lived in the same home, we communicated and did things together as a family. They never considered they were doing "chores" whilst helping their mum or dad to do things which needed to be done. They knew that a home needed looking after and from the age of 2 were happy to be helping. They grew up looking after their own bedrooms, sorting their own washing, drying dishes etc etc, because that is just how we did things.

Thank you. The number of people who seem to be able to grasp this family ethos is slim!

Seems most people believe that unless you force your children to do chores they're just going to sit back and do nothing, there's a real problem with understanding that children help because they want to.

Kynthia

peachyprice wrote: »

Why do you think none of those things can be achieved other than by forcing young children to do chores?

I do but i dont see why you wouldn't get them involved in what needs doing, especially when they'll need to know how to do it at some point? Why are you so negative about children helping with the household tasks. Using the word 'forcing' seems to indicate that you don't believe children will do it otherwise or that it's wrong somehow?

What do you mean by young children as the post I quoted they weren't young and one was an adult?