Appropriate chores for an (almost) 8 yo boy?

[JESW]

Hello DISers! I was wondering if any of you could help me out in setting up some chores for my DS to do. It is time to start an allowance and he will only get it if certain things are done. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

TIA!

Jill...who DS thinks is an ATM machine..

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

My 8 year old is responsible for:

cleaning his own room
feeding the cats and giving them fresh water daily
clearing the dinner table

On the weekends, he loves to dust, so I let him go to town. He really didn't have to twist my arm on that one. He also likes to clean the bath tub.

 

[Pam]

Folding towels is a good one. Also, if you have a dishwasher, loading and unloading the dishes. Dusting the furniture, shelves, etc.

Pam

 

[shep]

My 4 year old
cleans her room
empties her trash can on saturday
straightens up
throws her laundry in the basket....
sometimes helps me sort laundry...

 

[Pin Wizard]

For allowance I go by the system my friend uses. For anything DS is responsible for, he doesn't get anything. As a family member, he's expected to contribute. When he does something I normally would do, he gets $$. Some things on his list are taking out the garbage, taking care of the garbage cans (out and in on garbage day,) makes his bed, picks up toys (needs work there!), cleans up around the sink after brushing his teeth. A few that he's added on that I normally do and he gets paid when he does them...washing dishes, folding his clothes, check the dog's food and water, his laundry (my sister says her son has been doing his own laundry since he was 7! He's now 16. He saw Home Alone at that age and thought laundry looked like fun! My DS isn't falling for that one.) And he's responsible to make sure he has his lunchbox in the van every morning. I tend to forget that. Good luck!

 

[Toby'sFriend]

My 9 year old loves to dust and he loves to use the Swifter on the floors.

He also feeds the cats
Puts laundry away after I fold it
Unloads the dishwasher
and helps carry the trash out to the end of the driveway on trash days

My boys take turns cleaning the toilet in their restroom. I was originally hoping that this would make them improve their aim, but it hasn't. But at least I don't have to clean it any longer.

 

[piratesmate]

DS & DD both went through the same cycle of chores. Our system was a little different than Pin Wizard's though. We gave a base allowance - just for being a kid, like $1. Rather than punishing by taking $$ away, they would get paid for certain jobs - like wages. $0.25/bag of trash taken out, $1 for trimming the grass along the sidewalk or raking & bagging the leaves - that kind of thing.

Some of the other "chores" mentioned here were considered to be "good habits" and never called chores. Withholding allowance was not used as punishment for failing to clean their room, sort their laundry, etc. although I forget now what devious methods we used for that.

Some others we used were:
making the dinner salads
folding towels and socks
sweeping the porch
setting the table

 

[CamColt]

Im sitting here ROFL at myself. As I read these great suggestions Im thinking of starting DS who is almost 6 on some of these jobs. But I realize they wont get done the way I want them too. Im such a clean freak Ill never let my kids do any chores. Actually, he does sometimes help me dust the living room and dining room tabes, but I alway go over it a little afterwards. He also likes helping me wash the floors or vaccum, but again, only a little bit and then I go over it. I need help!

 

[Cindy B]

My son i sthe same age..

He takes the trash cans from the curb to the backyard
He makes his bed
He cleans his room.

He also shares clearing off the dinner table with his five year old sister.

He vacuums as well, especially the stairway. He also shares settting the table with his sister.

 

[bumcat]

My son is 8 will be 9 this mo. He empties the dishwasher,cleans his room and empties the bathroom trash cans.
If he moans and groans or complains in anyway he gets a warning. If he gets more than 3 warnings in a day he is grounded from tv, games, etc for 3 days. So far grounding has not been necessary, he only gets to 1 warning.
He told me one day to stop treating him like a little kid, I said no problem you can now do chores like your sisters. He said that wasn't what he meant. oh well........................

 

[Pin Wizard]

Originally posted by CamColt
Im sitting here ROFL at myself. As I read these great suggestions Im thinking of starting DS who is almost 6 on some of these jobs. But I realize they wont get done the way I want them too. Im such a clean freak Ill never let my kids do any chores. Actually, he does sometimes help me dust the living room and dining room tabes, but I alway go over it a little afterwards. He also likes helping me wash the floors or vaccum, but again, only a little bit and then I go over it. I need help!

I used to be the same way. After DS had gone to do something else or was asleep, I would redo the sweeping, etc. But don't do it when he can see you! Now? If he does it, I'm lucky. No time to go over it again. LOL!

 

[shortbun]

Funny thread. I like the idea of not being
allowed to moan and grown but I do it
when I'm cleaning so how can I refuse my
son the same privilege!!???? lol
DS-age 7.25-cleans his room, feeds the
cat ,cleans the sink in the bathroom,
sets the table and
has been mowng the front yard (it's small)with a
push reel mower. NONE of this is tied into
his allowance which is $3. He has expenses
like the rest of us so he gets some spending
money. this way I don't have to refuse buying
things-I simply say, "do you have the money
saved and is this the way you want to spend
it?" Cuts out lots of crap being purchased, gives
him some control and teaches how to make
choices about $$. Occasionally, he does get
other jobs to do...to earn some money or
sometimes they are just a one time job. He
had $132 saved for vacation in August. Some
of it (about $50) came from birthday money,
the rest he saved from his allowance. I didn't
have to spend a dime on his purchases while
we were at the beach; it was great!
Have fun deciding what you are going to
do, perhaps your ds could help decide.

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

We went to an allowance because we were being nickeled and dimed to death. DS is an only child and is slightly on the spoiled side.

We decided that his allowance would be $10 per week, which is far less than we were spending on him before the allowance system. He now has to use that for any toys/video games/slurpees etc that he wants. We are saving a fortune, and he has learned to budget for what he wants.

 

[snoopy]

My 7 year old gets $7 a week for:

-keeping his room straight
-making his bed
-dusting (both of my boys have been dusting since they were practically babies)
-setting the table
-feeding the cats

And anything else I decide he needs to do on any particular day.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

My girls do chores all the time and do not get paid for it. I'd like to go to an allowance system but everytime I did they just choose not to do the chores and not get any money SO that just doesn't work out for us.
If they want money they just need to ask for things that may need to be done to earn some...they never ask.

 

[BrerMom]

The chores mentioned are pretty typical for our house, too. After experimenting with several different systems, we finally found one that works for our family.

There is no free money. Normal chores like setting the table and cleaning your room are expected. Housework and yardwork are paid jobs - $1 per 1/2 hour. Our 3rd grader can earn up to $3 a week and our 6th grader can earn up to $6.

Some weeks they don't earn anything, sometimes all of it. The nice thing is that if it's a "want," they pay for it. If it's a "need" or if I want them to have it (I bought their school yearbooks), it doesn't come out of their money.

P.S. I felt very strongly that the kids wouldn't lose any type of payment/allowance for misbehavior; we have other ways of dealing with that. I supposedly got an allowance when I was a kid, but I never actually saw any money on almost all weeks. One mistake during the week and I lost the allowance.

 

[peg2001]

We recently started letting my DD, age 5, stay up 1/2 hour later if she wants to help with housework. She is EAGER to help since she can put off bedtime for 30 minutes. She can fold some of the easier laundry items, hang shirts and dresses, collect dirty laundry from the bathrooms, put away her clothes, pick up toys, books, sort socks, strip beds, feed cats, dog, fish, wipe table and the lower sections of the fridge, oven, dishwasher, etc.

Does she do each of these things as well as I could? NOPE! Do I re-do them afterwards? NOPE! Will she improve with practice? I hope so!

For now, my 2 yr old only has to help clean up messes that she makes.

I had to chuckle at the number of posts where making the bed is one of the child's chores. I don't make MY bed so wouldn't consider making that one of my DD's chores.

Peggy