kids chores?

[krismom]

Do your kids do chores? I'm thinking of doing a chore chart for an allowance - I'm not sure what chores they can do that won't make more work for me!
Any suggestions? My kids are 8,6,6 and 4


Thanks in Advance!

 

[minnierocks]

My kids have chores (11 & 13)...
There are things that are done regularly, such as putting away their own laundry, emptying trash in the house, setting the table, helping to take care of the pets, that they do not get an allowance for. They are helping with things that are part of normal daily living...
If I have big jobs, such as cleaning out the garage...I will give them some $$ for helping out.
My son has to keep my van clean inside (and out during the summer), to "earn" his cell phone. This is a job that I will not remind him to do. If the monthly bill comes and my van has not been done at least twice...no more phone for the month. I can tell you that I have not had to take it away, but I figure that his boss is not going to remind him to do his "job" -so it's good training for him.
I've never been a big allowance fan, but I know a lot of parents who have had much success with it.
Your 4 year old would be able to fold towels, or gather toys, or help with any pets you might have.
Your 8 year old can gather laundry, empty trash, clean out the car, and sweep. I think your other children would be able to dust, straighten things, and set and clear the dinner table.
As for how much? Do what's best for your family!

 

[mamacatnv]

My DD 8 sets the table, clears the table, occassionally loads or unloads the dishwasher, feeds the cats and her rats and makes her lunch.

Her first chore was set the table. I would put the plates, silverware etc. out and she "set" the table. Now she is able to reach all the items she needs and knows to add condiments, drinks etc...

 

[macmahony]

My three girls, who are 5, 4 and 2 have chores. (okay, the baby just helps, but we call them her chores)
They are in charge of cleanup the toys
They set and clear the table
They make there beds, even the baby. (none are near perfect, but eventually they will be)
We throw stuff on the stairs all day, shoes, jacekts, upstairs toys, they are in charge of taking there stuff upstairs
It sounds like a ton, but we help if needed. My two big ones will usually make there beds without being told to. They are begging to wash dishes, and like to "try to help". but with those we almost always rewash them.

 

[hvivona]

My kids are the same age as yours and they do chores. They are pretty basic for all: clean up your messes, keep the play room clean, brush teeth, bring dirty clothes to the laundry room. The 6 year old has chores added on to the basics like empty bedroom waste baskets once a week, clear the table after dinner, put folded clothes away. The 8 soon to be 9 year old has additions like make bed every day, set table each night, put folded clothes away. I think chores are important for children. It helps them learn that we must all do our part so we all have more time together. They have a chore chart which get checked daily. At the end of the week my DH and I go over it and see how they did and if they get their allowance. If they get all chores done they get $5. They amount drops depending on how many things they failed to do. They have all decided to save their allowance for our upcoming WDW trip. So not only are they learning responsibility with doing chores, they are also learning to save $ for what they think is important.

 

[mcgypsy]

My girls are 5 1/2 and 7. Since it's just the 3 of us, they have to help, or I would never make it. They have to do things that are related to them like...
1-Get out their clothes at night for school.
2-Check the lunch menu, and if taking, pack their lunch.
3-Pack their backpack for school and put it by the door
4-Keep their bedroom floor clear of stuff including dirty clothes, shoes, and toys.
5-Put away their laundry after I have washed and folded it.
6-Bring the trash can from their room/bathroom to the garage on the night before trash pick up.
7-Set and clear the table for dinner.
8-Every weekend they strip their beds for me so I can wash/change the sheets.

They don't get an allowance, but they know how good they've got it, so they don't really complain...well, not most of the time anyway.

 

[dfarner]

My DD5 has been doing chores since she was probably 2.5 or so. Very similar to what other posters have mentioned. She started getting a quarter at the end of every week. Now she gets $2 a week. And she saves. Of course we purchase her every day things and toys on holidays and so forth, but come Disney vacation every year we go about a week before to the bank with her rolled coins and dollars and she cashes in for money to take to Disney to spend on herself. IMO your children are definitely old enough to be earning and saving. I feel, as I've seen w/ DD, that it will instill a sense of pride in them as well.

 

[mouseketeer_mom]

My kids are 7, 4.5 and 4.5. They are responsible for feeding and watering the dog, and helping dad to feed the horses. These chores are alternated between them. The oldest is respnsible for taking out the trash and the younger two are responsible for "picking up" the bathroom after bath time. The three of them are responsible for the entire clean up of dinner. (yeah, this requires very close supervision but someday...... ) My 4.5 year old daughter could do the entire dinner clean up on her own. (the boys seem to need a little encouragement )

Although I have great respect for the values that earning an allowance can teach, our kids do their chores because, as part of the family, everyone has to do their "share". Their "allowance" this year (several years worth actually ) is a trip to WDW in 5 days!

 

[devalsam]

I found a great chore chart at Target a couple months ago. It's a dry erase board so we try to mix it up sometimes and change the chores around. My DDs are 7 & 8 and it's just the three of us. They are responisible for setting and clearing the table, putting their clothes away, feeding the cats, keeping their room clean and they've just started emptying the dishwasher and putting the dishes away. Every Sunday, we do the full on cleaning. While I still do all the big stuff (laundry, bathrooms, kitchen floor, etc) they are responsible for dusting and vacuuming, etc. They do not get an allowance but the chore chart allows for check marks or sticker so if they've gotten all their check marks for the entire month, we go out to dinner and do something fun, a movie or roller skating or bowling. This way they are learning to be responsible and help out around the house and we're spending fun, quality time together too!!

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

I've always expected DS to clean up after himself. I don't consider keeping his room and bathroom clean chores.

He's responsible for taking out the trash, feeding the cat, changing the catbox, taking his turn at doing the dishes, and getting good grades.

 

[hezreck]

My DD9 didn't like having me tell her what to do for chores, so I made a likst of different chores she could do. Each week starting on sunday she can pick 4 chores off the list that she wants to do. Each chore is worth $1, so she can only make $4 a week. She can do them when she wants. If she wants to do 4 in one day she can or she can spread them out and do them when she wants. If works much better for her that she gets to choose what she does and when she does it. She's getting into her independent stage where she doesn't want me telling her what to do all the time.

Some of her chores are:

Straigtening her room
Dusting
Emptying the dishwasher
Feeding the cat and cleaning the litter box
Reading for one hour straight (I gave her this one because she used to read
alot and kind of quit doing it, and it gives me
peace and quiet for an hour )

 

[Steph9072]

I have a 6 yr dd, 2 yr old ds and an 11 yr dss.

The 2 year old helps pick up toys and helps straighten his room.

Dss 11 helps when he is here

Dd is expected to clean her room, clear her dishes from the table and pickup after herself ie: putting clothes in hamper, hanging coat up. This is expected as part of the family. But she can earn $1 a day for setting the table and $1 a day for picking up the toy room.

I look at it this way a family lives here so a family should make the house run. Granted I am a sahm and do the biggest part of the housework. But there are things that my kids are or will be expected to do just because they should. like cleaning their room and taking their dishes to the sink. But they are also assinged task they can earn $$ for as they get older the amount of $$ and difficulty of the task will be more.

 

[beattyfamily]

My girls do some chores because that is what a family does; each has their duties/chores to keep the house running. They make their beds, clean their room, clean the playroom, fill the dog food/water, set the table, fill the napkin holder etc...

We also give them an allowance based on their age (they get $1. per year but they keep only half; the other half must be saved and cannot be spent).

The allowance is NOT tied to their chores. They will always have to do the chores regardless of whether we give them allowances or not.

 

[Princess Roo]

I think it's great to start children on chores young. DS almost 2 helps to pick up his toys and clears his own plate at meals. He also "helps" with laundry (granted - this makes it slower for me, but he takes ownership and it lets me get the job done in an interactive way while he's awake!) by helping sort the colors, helping load and unload the dryer, helping sort while I'm folding, and carrying some of his clothes upstairs. Our hope is that it will instill the understanding that he needs to help out around the house...I'll let you know in a few years!

Funny story about allowance and chores...My dad used to give us 35 cents a week for chores when we were ~7 or so and we would lose 5 cents a day if we didn't do them. Now, this was WAY less allowance than I thought was right, so I respectfully told him he could just keep the money and I wouldn't do the chores. Guess how well that went over? We haven't decided if we will eventually give allowance or not!

 

[powellrj]

I have never been a fan of allowances based on chores. We all work together to keep the house running. Its something you do as a family. DS sweeps, takes out trash and cleans the glass in addition to keeping his room and laundry picked up and put away.

DD dusts and sets and clears the table in addition to keeping her room cleaned and laundry put away.

We only pay for large jobs like snow shoveling, mowing, window washing and things like that.

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

I love giving DS an allowance because it has taught him the value of money. There's no more, "but it is only $5.00!"

We pay for anything initiated by us. If he wants to go to a movie or anywhere else with his friends, buy songs from iTunes, or buy anything else, it has to come out of the money he has managed to save. He's choices are becoming wiser.

 

[Familyofsix]

Ours are 12,9,5.5,4,1.5 and have chores to do around the house. You know all the cooking,cleaning,laundry,mowing the yard,wash and wax the cars twice a week,rub my feet ect .

Now back to reality.They do help out around the house based on what their ages are. Loading dishwasher,cleaning off kitchen counters,taking out the trash,picking up their things, feeding their animals. The oldest ones get $5 a week plus all the extras (ballet,art classes, All-Star Cheerleading, Girl Scouts,karate ect,ect). Plus the fact that Disney is becoming almost once a year(my fault grew up going down once a year to see my grandparents from 1971-1985),going to Dollywood,Hershey Pa,or anywhere we can take the RV. They are learning the value of a dollar and we no longer hear but its only $5 or $10. When they learn that money doesn't grow on tree's or out of Daddies wallet and that time is money (both need to be budgeted) the less of the I wants or get me this you hear. Instead you hear I am saving up to" " is it is such sweet music to the ears.

You would be surprised how much kids feel proud of the fact that they can save and earn for what they want. My DW is a Girl Scout leader and 3 years ago the girls decided to save for a trip to Disney.Three cookie sales later they are going to Disney for a week without their parents having to spend a dime for food,tickets,lodging spending money ect. I am not sure who is prouder the parents of the girls.

 

[CampbellScot]

My step daughter is 7 and my step son is 4. Their chores are:

Make your beds each morning
Put pj's in the hamper
Clear your place at the table
Pick up their toys

They take turns:
Putting away the clean silverware
Dusting downstairs
Take the garbage to the big trashcan

SD7 also vacuums and dusts her own room twice a week. (both kids have dust mite allergies we are super clean!) SS4 helps with dusting and he LOVES the vacuum cleaner. I let him dust and vacuum by himself, and then I do it again.

SS4 usually needs a little prompting here and there but he's got the main ones down. I am NOT a fan of paying kids to help out. It's their family too and they don't need to be bribed to do their share. Nobody pays me or their dad to do OUR chores! But when a Disney trip is coming they do earn "disney money". They both know that if they do not complete their chores they don't earn their Disney Money. They are both very responsible munchkins and they have very nice manners as well!

Chores are good for kids!!! It helps them to feel ownership and a sense of pride and feel connected to the family effort...and I am not anybody's housekeeper!

 

[Familyofsix]

The one that I forgot to mention and the kids don't think its a chore is to vac the house. After I bought that Dyson they fight over who gets to use it.

 

[Elaine R]

My kids are 3 and 4.5. They have several chores: feed the cat, make their beds, get dressed, put away the silverware, clean the playroom, clear the table, put away their coats etc.

We don't tie chores to an allowance because I tell them that we are a familiy and we all have to work together to make the family work.