Dog care and multiple age children capable of caring....

[battlemaiden]

Do you assign one child to feed and water at all times? Or do you rotate?

 

Right now I am rotating weeks between the older three. My ultimate goal is to make this chore completely independent of my verbal reminders, but the kids can't seem to get in the groove.

 

I'd like to know how you handle this chore when you have multiple children capable of pet care. We only have one, very old, cantankerous dog.

 

Jo

[Mandamom]

my 12 year old still finds it really hard to do anything that I need done without my reminder (dh, too but that's another board :tongue_smilie: ).

 

 

Good luck with getting that dog taken care of.

[myfunnybunch]

Chore chart on the fridge?

 

My kids have a hard time with rotating chores because no one, my own forgetful self included, can remember whose week it is for which chore. Cat care goes to the oldest because she's obsessed with the cats, dog feeding goes to the youngest child capable of the chore because the others are assigned more difficult chores.

 

So I guess my suggestion would be to either have a big visual reminder in a prominent place, or choose one person and assign them a time to do the chore. After breakfast and after dinner work well here.

 

You'll probably still have to remind once in a while. I still have to remind my 15 y.o. to do her chores. :glare:

 

Cat

[mooooom]

We have one kitty that will actually run over and nip somebody if he gets too hungry (but never me). Of course he is first rubbing all over you purring, it's not like you could miss him. Another kitty nudges the dish until it hits the floor. The dog will hang around his bowl looking miserable.

 

I always find that I will wait until dinner is on the table and everyone has washed and sat down to eat. Then I will point out the dog hanging out next to his bowl. Then somebody has to get up and everybody has to wait for them before we eat. It seems to be pretty effective.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Feeding the dogs is primarily my dd6's job. She is the dog lover and it is a job that she can do well. When we had a cat, the cat was more my ds10's responsibility. Now he does non-pet related jobs (but he does do a few dog chores like the once-a-month flea treatment that dd6 can't do). I assign jobs more by age (the older the child is, the more challenging the job). She has set times to do her chores. We have a chore notebook that they can look at to remind them of the chores too. (And of course I will remind them if they forget too!)

[Rachel]

we have used this system for many years, since my children were quite young. We have 4 dogs and 3 cats and we rotate monthly.

 

I have 3 children so they only have this chore once every 3 months which is nice because this is one of the more heavy duty chores at our house.

 

When its your month to have "animals" you must feed them morning and night, fill the water dishes, take the dogs out, clean the catbox, give cats food as needed (they share a big dispenser).

[StephanieZ]

to the dc until I was sure the child was really responsible and up to it. As in, had proved themselves with other less important chores. Probably not until 12 or older. None of my dc are up to that level of consistent remembering yet. We usually have to remind them to change the guinea pig cage and sometimes it gets GROSS and really stinks and for gosh-sakes it is in ds's bedroom!! :tongue_smilie: How can he not notice??

 

I'd just do it myself. :) I'd delegate the poop-scooping or stuff like that, but not feeding or potty breaks.

 

Feeding the appropriate amount (measured) at the appropriate times is too important health-wise. Obesity is a big health problem as pets age and missing meals can cause problems as well.

[Barb_]

to the dc until I was sure the child was really responsible and up to it. As in, had proved themselves with other less important chores. Probably not until 12 or older. None of my dc are up to that level of consistent remembering yet. We usually have to remind them to change the guinea pig cage and sometimes it gets GROSS and really stinks and for gosh-sakes it is in ds's bedroom!! :tongue_smilie: How can he not notice??

 

I'd just do it myself. :) I'd delegate the poop-scooping or stuff like that, but not feeding or potty breaks.

 

Feeding the appropriate amount (measured) at the appropriate times is too important health-wise. Obesity is a big health problem as pets age and missing meals can cause problems as well.

 

Sigh, I agree. I don't really want to, and I've tried multiple ways to get my kids more involved in pet care, but what it really comes down to is I'm the only one who remembers on a regular basis. Since food and water are so important, this is one area I've resigned myself to controlling.

 

Barb

[Heather in the Kootenays]

We used to rotate on a daily basis but it get too confusing for me. (It's his turn etc). I assigned one child to animals and the other to other things. If I had to do it over I'd probably rotate on a monthly basis. That I could keep track of.

[Mrs. Readsalot]

I usually ask for assorted colored post it notes in my Christmas stocking...Why because they make great reminders for me and for my ds. We have a post it note board(dry erase board) an the left is a jobs to be done and the notes go there first. On the right is the finished jobs side. When the child assigned the job has finished it they move the note. It is strange but there seems to be a power in moving the note that works for getting the job done You could make different rows onthe board for each child etc. Notes last about 1-2 weeks before they lose their sticky and have to be replaced. I used to do this for school assignments too.

[Marie in Oh]

Chickens, bunnies, 3 cats and a dog. DS, who is the oldest, does the chickens. DD, 8, does the cats, which includes the litter box- she scoops it every day and cahnges it on Fridays, all by herself. DD- 6 does the bunnies. They don't require care every day, but she checks them everyday and gives them food and water as needed. DH helps with the trays on the weekend. I won't say they do this without reminders, but they are getting better. I figure that i have to remember to do the jobs or I have to remember to tell the dc to do the jobs. I would rather it be the later.

 

In your situation, I think I would give the youngest child capable of the job, but know you will have to remind him/her. Our 4 yo can feed the cats, but she doesn't do it all the time.