The most responsibility you had as a child?

[Spinneret]

putting the bins out

 

[MIGrandma]

Small child, putting my toys away.

As I got older it was keeping my room clean, ironing my own clothes, our pillowcases and my Dad’s handkerchiefs. Also drying dishes at night, after Mom washed them.

 

[leebee]

On the night before trash day, I had to collect all the small trash barrels from the different rooms and bring them to my dad, so he could take out the trash. I was responsible for bringing the empty trash bins back in after the trash guys collected the trash. I hated that- they were big, heavy metal trash bins. We were responsible for making our own beds each day and keeping our rooms tidy. Also had to unload the dishwasher every day. By the time I was 11, I babysat for my younger siblings at least one night a week, and when I was 12 I had a steady babysitting job on Friday nights, for a family up the street with 4 kids aged 2-8. I'd arrive as they were finishing supper. I was responsible for stacking the supper dishes and getting the kids to bed, then stayed until the parents got home sometime between 11pm and midnight.

 

[tvguy]

Watering plants for several neighbors while they were away on vacation.

 

[luvnwdwgal]

Helping with Spring cleaning. My mom was a clean freak and loved her Knick knacks so every year my sister and I would have to wash them all.

 

[nw6675]

Soooooo...I was the baby. My older sister still complains that she had to do all the work. Two things I remember:

1. We each had our own bathroom and had to clean our own.
2. One time my dad had me cut the grass. I cried it was so hard! Turned out a wheel was flat. He paid me $50 anyway.

 

[RogueX]

Winters involved shoveling the driveways so that the parents could get to work (5 kids made it a bit easier). Every Friday we had to dust and vacuum our bedrooms.

None of us kids were trusted with the laundry after the parentals found out that the youngest flooded the laundry room with bubbles and the rest of us helped cover it up.

 

[TCRAIG]

Babysitting for a couple that had 2 little boys - ages 5 and 7….when I was 9 years old.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

One Summer before she had to go to a nursing home, I took care of my great-grandmother while the adults went to a daily jam session at a club in Wildwood. Hard to believe they thought that at 12 I could take care of an elderly lady with dementia while they went and partied for three hours, but that's exactly what happened. I had my sister and my two cousins to look after as well. I loved my Grandmom Harvey (she was the one I've talked about who owned the "Boardinghouse" in the 20s and 30s) to bits, but it was hard work for a kid.

 

[mrsstats79]

Taking care of my sister who was 13 years younger than me.

 

[CdnCarrie]

Babysitter for various families