Chores for almost 5yo's

[JodyLynC]

My girls will be 5 in a couple months. I am setting up a chore chart so they can earn points which will be transferred to $ or activities at WDW. Right now they do stuff like this:

Clean dining room table after meals.
Sweep DR.
Help fold clothes
Keep their play room and bed room clean.
Put their dirty clothes in laundry room.
Help put groceries away.

We recently got a cat so we are adding feeding, watering, brushing the cat and helping to clean litter box to the list.

What do your young kids do?

 

[Harlie]

Well my kids are 8,7 and 3, the older two are really dependant and have to be told to do things and will not take initiative to do things on their own. Right now we are happy if they can keep their rooms clean and fold or put away their clothes. So their chores consist of taking care of their things. They struggle with even this so adding more would be adding to my consumstion of tylenol. DS3 makes his bed and picks up his toys when asked, he also really likes to help me with laundry, he will get mad if I don't invite him to help me lol! So I am sure that once he is older he will be able to handle more chores.

In our house the more chores you help out with the more Wii time you earn or the more allowance you earn (their choice). My kids have not played with the Wii in two weeks because they are choosing the money for extra spending for our upcomming DL trip.

 

[Beehn]

I just set up a chore chart for my 5 year old. She has to make her bed , clean her room and brush her teeth every day. I'm not too picky on how the bed is made, as long as the comforter is pulled up and the pillows are in place. We used to have a big fight about teeth brushing, and she always left a mess in the bathroom so that is why such an easy task is on her chart (it's apparently not so easy for her !!!)

 

[JodyLynC]

so adding more would be adding to my consumstion of tylenol. QUOTE]

 

[Melissa_E]

My DD4.5 helps by setting the table, clearing her plate, cleaning up her toys, she washes the mirrors in the bathrooms. She isn't quite big enough to help sweep and tends to get dirt all over the place instead of one nice pile.

 

[scouthawkk]

DS5's morning chores: make his own bed, make sure his dirty clothes are in his hamper and that everything is neat in his room. Once he gets downstairs, he has to feed the animals (2 cats, 1 dog) and wash his hands for breakfast. He also helps to load/unload the dishwasher, and folds his own laundry and puts it away in the proper drawers (once we carry it up to his room). We have him clear his own dishes when done eating. Also weekly, we have him bag the newspapers to take down for recycling every Thursday-he bags, DH or I carry them to the curb. He also has to keep his playroom picked up. He also likes to help sweep the floors. But that is bonus for us, and not part of what he has to do.

 

[momz]

my son is 4 as well. but he is not capable of following the instructions to "clean your room" or "pick up your toys". He can, however, follow more simple instructions such as "put your shoes in the closet", and "hang your coat on the hook". Mostly his "chores" consist of things he does to take care of himself. He takes pride in accomplishing these things too. Right now we are focusing on bathroom stuff. He's been potty trained for a long time, but we are moving beyond that to consistently flushing the toilet and washing his hands every time. He also is beginning to brush his teeth independantly (I put the toothpaste on), and washes his face at bedtime (he gets his own washcloth and wets it himself). He's doing well with this, so next we are going to require him to put his shoes and coat away without being told. Once he understands what is expected of him in regards to taking care of himself, we will move on to "helping" around the house. This will be things like letting the dog out/in, clearing the table, getting the mail, etc... He really enjoys tasks that involve cleaning, like washing the windows, and mopping the floor, but this is not something that is "expected" of him. I certainly don't think a 4 year old is ready to have that much responsibility yet. now a 14 year old...that's another story. I'm thinking about perhaps having him mow the lawn and get mommy a beer by summer (just joking).

 

[MSSANDRA]

Honestly your list looks good and about right. Maybe start to care for their bathroom if they share one by picking up towels, and wipping out the tub after a bath without any cleaner of course.

 

[JodyLynC]

Thanks so much for sharing your ideas and listing what you do. How do you list the chores and/or keep track of points or $$ earned?

We have a small poster board in their playroom with chore lists and their names. When they do a chore, they get a sticker(or 2 depending on the chore) to put on their side of the board. Each sticker will earn a point. They can turn the points in for $$ or privileges.

 

[DevilDuckie]

What do your young kids do?

I started my son out by helping me with various tasks- laundry, dishes, trash, etc. and as he got bigger he became more capable of doing them completely. I believe that chores should be done with the child at first so that they get a sense of how to do them properly and that everone is working, not just them.

Housework is not something he does for a reward. It's not connected to allowance or treats. It's simply something he's required to do as a member of the family.