Am I expecting too much?

[wovenwonder]

Originally posted by bumcat
Way overboard on the bedmaking, he will rebel when he is grown and become a major slob and live like a pig.
The other chores are fine.

I have another outlook on this (sorry Mom and Dad). My bedroom when living at home was MY quarters to pretty much keep the way I chose. Mom made me straighten it up a couple times a year BUT I pretty much could live my room the way I wanted it. Once I was out on my own then my ENTIRE HOUSE was MY quarters. Needless to say -- I was (and sometimes still am) a horrible housekeeper due to the lax at home when I was young. Unfortunately -- I haven't done anything different with my kids either.

 

[aprincessmom]

Nope.

DD just turned 7. She is required to make her bed, put away her clean clothes (sometimes she even helps fold), put her dirty clothes in the hamper, set the table for dinner (for both of us) and clear her plate from the table, keep her own room clean and help keep the rest of the common rooms cleaned up (the "if you use it put it away" school of thought). She also gladly does/asks to do other things that aren't required of her (vacuum, dust, empty the dishwasher, get the mail, empty trash, etc.).

Is her bed perfect? No. But she's been doing it since she was 5 and knows how. Sometimes she's a little more careful than other times. Is her drawer a mess sometimes? Sure, but she's the one who has to wear wrinkly clothing, not me. Does she leave things lying around? Not since I started throwing them away after 2 days.

She's been doing chores (for lack of a better term) since she was 4. It's part of being a good citizen in our house. I think the earlier you get them to participate, the better.

 

[Mishetta]

To Dizykat: No...I never even heard of the "make your bed before you get out of it, but I'm going to try that with DS tomorrow. Maybe tonight we'll do a test run but we'll see if it really works in our household tomorrow!

To All: Okay....so it sounds I went overboard that one morning I had my son make his bed 3 times. Call Social Services on me! I will try to curtail that in the future. If my "DIS" family thinks I've gone overboard with the "make your bed till it's perfect" routine, then maybe I have. I'd apologize to the little guy but then he'd run mad with that apology & never make a neat bed again! And he's very capable of it! He can make a "mean" bed when he wants too!

After reading all the posts, it almost sounds like the opinions are split down the middle. The majority though have said that I shouldn't have made him make his bed 3 times. (Can you ever forgive me??)

 

[Rajah]

Originally posted by Mishetta
(Can you ever forgive me??)

Awwww, of course we can!! *hugs* Not that there's really anything to forgive, IMHO. *Hugs again*

 

[disykat]

Oh, Mishetta, you crack me up! If only all of us had so little to be forgiven for in terms of our parenting!

 

[Mishetta]

I humbly accept your forgiveness....thank you!

And trust me disykat, if that were the ONLY thing I've done wrong in Parenting, I'd be a lucky woman! I probably average a mistake (or two) per day in that department!!!

 

[Mattsmom]

To All: Okay....so it sounds I went overboard that one morning I had my son make his bed 3 times. Call Social Services on me! I will try to curtail that in the future. If my "DIS" family thinks I've gone overboard with the "make your bed till it's perfect" routine, then maybe I have. I'd apologize to the little guy but then he'd run mad with that apology & never make a neat bed again! And he's very capable of it! He can make a "mean" bed when he wants too!

You know what he can/cannot do better then we do. I wouldn't go overboard and make this a "major" issue. I would let him know I expect his best effort.

I've read all the responses. I noticed that the Moms of older children are all on the side of chores. I've got DSs 19, 16 &12. I have to agree with the the "doing chores".

My oldest DS is a Freshmen in College this year. He has actually admitted that our having him do chores has helped him! He's complained several times about his roommates lack of housekeeping knowledge!