Kids and chores

[mom2alix]

Newsweek has an article this week on parents who can't say "no" to their kids.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5909207/site/newsweek/

One statistic that stuck with me was that 75% of parents polled said that children today had less chores than kids had 10-15 years ago. That being said, I was wondering:

What chores did you have to do as a kid?

If you have kids, what chores do they do?


When I lived with my parents I cleaned the bathrooms, cooked dinner several times per week, picked my younger siblings up from school and watched them until my mother got home, and washed the dishes (by hand - we had a dishwasher but Dad thought it was too noisy I STILL hate to do dishes.

My DD is only 2 1/2, but she is already "helping" around the house. She hands me plates when unloading the dishwasher and like to help put clothes from the washer into the dryer. I'm really hoping she still likes to help when she's old enough to really be of assistance!

How about you?

 

[Beth76]

I definitely had chores as a kid. We had all the general chores that most kids (back then) had---cleaning our rooms, vacuuming, washing dishes etc.

Now, my son is only 3, so he's limited in what he can do and I don't give him 'chores', per se. I just have him do everyday things for himself that he is able to do. He cleans up his own messes (I help if needed), clears his place at the table, cleans up his toys, helps with laundry etc. Basically, if there's something that he can do, he does it. He actually loves to help with chores. He's definitely NOT a child of priviledge.

And re: the article....he does NOT get everything he wants. Sometimes if we're at the store I might "bribe" him to behave with a small toy, but it's not all the time. We go to Blockbuster regularly and they have a display of toys (come on-do we really need this at a video store too?) There's this one toy that he always looks at and wants to get. But, I always say 'no' and that we only get movies at Blockbuster (no candy either). I always stand my ground and he might put up a fight for a few minutes, but then gets over it. Sometimes I say 'no' and he lets it go. So, we're working on it and he's getting it too---that he doesn't get everything he wants.

 

[aprilgail2]

Originally posted by mom2alix

What chores did you have to do as a kid?

If you have kids, what chores do they do?

As a kid my chore was to clean up my room, other than that it was just do good in school and softball...once I hit 12 I had a few paper routes and I had to make sure I did those right...other than those that was it..

My daughter has to make sure the dog has water and help me striaghten up her playroom and room. I don't expect to give her more than that. She does help out around here right now..but then again she is only 4 1/2! Yesterday I was on the floor scrubbing the grout and she was right down there scrubbing with me, but she likes doing it right now.

 

[ladydancer]

Started doing dishes by hand @ the age of 6. First thing I did when I got married was buy a dishwasher. Also clean my room, help around the house, mow the lawn.

I'd do laundry on occasion as we had one of those old wringer washing machines. You took a hose filled up the tub. Then ran each piece of clothing and put through the wringer into a basket. Empty the wash water, then fill with rinse water, put the close back into the machine then repeat the wringer process. It wasn't automatic. You had to turn it on as well as turn it off. It ran until you went down to the basement and turned the switch off. Then hang clothes out to dry. In the winter we hung them in the basement. Usually took a couple of days to dry. In the summer we hung them outside. They's dry in a few hours. We didn't own a dryer. I was sooo glad when mom finally bought a dryer. All my friends had an automatic washer and dryer. I'm not sure why we didn't. Also had a scrub board and on occasion washed clothes that were really dirty on that. Although by the time I was about 12 I started doing my own laundry all the time and I think about that time is when we got the new automatic washer and dryer.

I was the youngest, 2 of my older siblings were out of the house by the time I was 6. My older brother was always gone. So never had to take care of younger siblings but did baby sit alot for older sisters children.

When my 3 children were at home I made a chore list and hung it on the fridg. Kids do better I believe when things are wrote down and are clear what needs to be done.

On an everyday basis they had to pick up behind themselves. As I explained to them...if you put things away when your done with them, there is less to clean latter. Also they took turns cleaning the kitchen after dinner. We had a dishwasher, so it wasn't that big a deal.

Sat. was house cleaning day. My kids were on a Sat. bowling league. So we got up on Sat. mornings checked our list to see what needed to be done. Mostly it was cleaning the family room and there bedrooms for the kids. I'd clean the kitchen and bathrooms. Took less than a couple of hrs. and it was done. The kids took turns mowing the lawn.

When the kids were 12 they started doing there own laundry. I did it on occasion. To this day my boys are the ones who do the laundry in there family. There wifes don't know how to do laundry. Of course my daughter does it in her family as her husband was never taught to do any domestic work. He's an idiot when it comes to doing anything in the house. Can't even put a dirty dish in the sink!

 

[ladydancer]

Originally posted by ladydancer
Started doing dishes by hand @ the age of 6. First thing I did when I got married was buy a dishwasher. Also clean my room, help around the house, mow the lawn. First it was one of those old push mowers with no motor. When you pushed it the blades would move and cut the grass. That was a big pain. Because you could only push it so far. Maybe 5 feet and it would get jammed and you'd have to back it up to unjam it. Later we got a riding lawn mower.

I'd do laundry on occasion as we had one of those old wringer washing machines. You took a hose filled up the tub. Then ran each piece of clothing and put through the wringer into a basket. Empty the wash water, then fill with rinse water, put the close back into the machine then repeat the wringer process. It wasn't automatic. You had to turn it on as well as turn it off. It ran until you went down to the basement and turned the switch off. Then hang clothes out to dry. In the winter we hung them in the basement. Usually took a couple of days to dry. In the summer we hung them outside. They'd dry in a few hours. We didn't own a dryer. I was sooo glad when mom finally bought a dryer. All my friends had an automatic washer and dryer. I'm not sure why we didn't. Also had a scrub board and on occasion washed clothes that were really dirty on that. Although by the time I was about 12 I started doing my own laundry all the time and I think about that time is when we got the new automatic washer and dryer.

I was the youngest, 2 of my older siblings were out of the house by the time I was 6. My older brother was always gone. So never had to take care of younger siblings but did baby sit alot for older sisters children.

When my 3 children were at home I made a chore list and hung it on the fridg. Kids do better I believe when things are wrote down and are clear what needs to be done.

On an everyday basis they had to pick up behind themselves. As I explained to them...if you put things away when your done with them, there is less to clean latter. Also they took turns cleaning the kitchen after dinner. We had a dishwasher, so it wasn't that big a deal.

Sat. was house cleaning day. My kids were on a Sat. bowling league. So we got up on Sat. mornings checked our list to see what needed to be done. Mostly it was cleaning the family room and there bedrooms for the kids. I'd clean the kitchen and bathrooms. Took less than a couple of hrs. and it was done. The kids took turns mowing the lawn.

When the kids were 12 they started doing there own laundry. I did it on occasion. To this day my boys are the ones who do the laundry in there family. There wifes don't know how to do laundry. Of course my daughter does it in her family as her husband was never taught to do any domestic work. He's an idiot when it comes to doing anything in the house. Can't even put a dirty dish in the sink!

 

[minnieandmickeymouse]

As a kid I didn't have any chores. I admit I was spoiled. IT was just me and my father when I was growing up. And I also feel like I wish my father had been more strict with me.

My kids DO have chores. My oldest is 8 and he has been taking care of the dishes from the dishwasher since he was 3. Now he shares that chore with his sister who is 6, she does the silverwear, and he does the rest. They also fold and put away thier own cloths, and clean thier room. Sometimes they take out the trash. Even my 2 and 3 year old will help with the trash like putting a new trash bag in, or helping with all the other chores they see the older kids doing.

 

[gr8tpanther]

As a kid, I did the laundry, cooked, cleaned, took care of my younger siblings, baby sat, did the dishes (yes BY HAND), I did it ALL!

My kids....

DD11 - her chores are room, empty the trash in the bathroom once a week and put the laundry in the laundry room.

DD10- her chores are her room and dishes. (this IS a struggle)

 

[disykat]

My kids (9 and 11) are in charge of their rooms and , of course, cleaning up their own messes anywhere in the house. Other than that, they just help me whenever chores arise. If I am cleaning, I assign them a job - but the jobs vary. When we grocery shop they have to help carry in and put away the groceries. It's more of a "pitch in and help" kind of thing with whatever we're doing. I've always told them I will assign specific chores if they aren't being helpful, but I've never had to.

My 9 year old hates to work and his room can be struggle at times (though writing him a list to go through step by step seems to work). He helps reasonably willingly if we are working together though. Today I'm doing laundry so the kids will sort colors - then after I wash everything they will help sort the clean stuff and then put their own away.

 

[Pin Wizard]

I always had the outside chores with my dad...raking leaves, cutting grass, shoveling snow, etc. My two sisters SHARED the inside stuff with my mom.

When it came to the dinner dishes, they always got to wash while I got stuck drying and putting them away.

No hostility about it here. LOL!

 

[Pin Wizard]

There's plenty of charts online for age appropriate chores for children. This is just one...

http://housekeeping.about.com/od/chorechart1/a/ageapprchores.htm

When DS was 3, I had him picking things up, wiping the kitchen table. Little things.

My sister's son was doing his own laundry at 7! LOL! He saw the movie Home Alone and thought it looked like fun!! LOLOL!