How much do your highschoolers help with chores?

[imeverywoman]

It seems as though mine are always reading, studying, etc, and it just feels wrong to me, to interrupt them to come and do various and sundry chores. Maybe I need a better schedule???

 

What sayeth the hive?

[choirfarm]

Well, mine do tons of chores. My oldest does the laundry for all the children, typically on Monday mornings. He does it all day and typically they hang it up in the evening. We try to straighten up every afternoon around 4ish. We start at one end, straighten, vacuum, wipe down the bathrooms, etc. This is not a deep cleaning. Before he gets any internet time, there room must be decently straight as well as their bathroom. My oldest also cooks at times. When my dad was alive and I was doing vision therapy and violin on Thursdays, he was cooking once a week. He doesn't do it that often now.

 

On the weekends they mow the lawn with the riding lawn mowers, weed and do other farm chores ( live on 50 acres)

 

My middle one is the one that loves outside chores and often does extra ones for dad. My oldest one prefers to work inside, partly because of allergies. He empties the trash as well.

 

They empty the dishwasher first thing in the morning and make sure the kitchen is clean most evening.

 

Sorry, but part of life is learning how to juggle studying and chores. I couldn't do it all without them.

 

christine

[southcarolinamom]

Mine help with laundry, emptying the dishwasher, cleaning the bathrooms, swiffering the floors, etc. But I do give them warning ahead of time. I usually say, "Sometime today I need you to please Swiffer the floors and clean the bathrooms...." I try to give them long-lasting chores on a Friday afternoon, when they are done with school for the week. They both like written "lists" so they can see exactly what I expect of them -- when the list is done, they are done.

 

The kids know they can fold laundry while they watch TV, so that's a pretty painless chore, in my opinion! :lol:

 

They both work part-time and are involved in sports, church stuff, etc. so I try to ask them for chore help on days when they have the most free time.

[southcarolinamom]

Well, mine do tons of chores. My oldest does the laundry for all the children, typically on Monday mornings. He does it all day and typically they hang it up in the evening. We try to straighten up every afternoon around 4ish. We start at one end, straighten, vacuum, wipe down the bathrooms, etc. This is not a deep cleaning. Before he gets any internet time, there room must be decently straight as well as their bathroom. My oldest also cooks at times. When my dad was alive and I was doing vision therapy and violin on Thursdays, he was cooking once a week. He doesn't do it that often now.

 

On the weekends they mow the lawn with the riding lawn mowers, weed and do other farm chores ( live on 50 acres)

 

My middle one is the one that loves outside chores and often does extra ones for dad. My oldest one prefers to work inside, partly because of allergies. He empties the trash as well.

 

They empty the dishwasher first thing in the morning and make sure the kitchen is clean most evening.

 

Sorry, but part of life is learning how to juggle studying and chores. I couldn't do it all without them.

 

christine

 

Well said!!

[4wildberrys]

Mine don't do a ton of chores because I am personally not organized enough to make sure we have specific days etc. to do specific cleanings etc. They unload/load the dishwasher and clean up the kitchen, take trash out, clean cat boxes, scrub bathrooms and do any other cleaning task I ask them to do. The only regular, daily chores they have though are the kitchen, cat boxes and trash.

 

We are pretty laid back though and I have only known one other homeschooling family who didn't have a load of daily chores for their kids. Pretty much all the rest I know have VERY detailed charts, lists, chores done daily, weekly etc! We are also okay with considering their schooling their 'job' right now----so we don't even stress them finding jobs locally (which admittedly is VERY hard anyways)---especially during the school year. We would like them to have summer jobs, but working during the school year would be too much IMO----although again---I think we also are the only local homeschooling family that doesn't have their kids working all year too :001_huh:

[Ellie]

I would expect children of all ages to participate in household chores.

[laughing lioness]

My kids do a ton of chores. They also do tons of gardening, they work closely with us on the house re-build and yard reclaimation (our side lot was trashed between the fire trucks and the new septic).

[Susan C.]

Mine help, but I don't make them when they are swamped with school. If I am desperate for help and they are very busy with school, I may ask for 15 minutes of concentrated help. I wouldn't want to have to clean house when I have a paper due either. :) As soon as I see they have time, we all clean like maniacs.

[Brindee]

When my kids were young I made some simple charts for what to do, and they rotated the chores. One time they all decided they liked what they were doing and asked to keep those chores all the time. I didn't care as long as the chores got done! We haven't had charts for YEARS, but the kids still do their chores. DD is the only one home all the time right now. When the boys are home, they fall right into doing the same chores they always have, without me even asking, which is great! :D

 

When they are out of school and have jobs, they'll have to work all day and do chores to keep up their home, so I don't have a problem with them doing them now. I don't force it at any certain time during the day, so they just do them when they have or need a break. They don't question it. It's just what they've always done. I think they'd think it was strange NOT to do chores to help out the family!

[Ester Maria]

Interrupting studies feels wrong here too.

 

You need to either have a specific time of the day when the chores need to get done (without interrupting the kids during their studies) and then maximally use that time, either assign chores which are not essential to be done when you assign them but which can be done within a certain time framework (as in, in the morning you say today - whenever you want, but by the end of this day - I need you to do X). Or just have them responsible for their stuff (their rooms, their laundry, their dishes washed right away instead of placed into a dishwasher, etc.) and call it enough - I know many people who do that.

 

We have a combination of the latter two approaches: I try to have kids responsible for stuff which are directly concerning them, but sometimes when additonal things need to be done, I tell it in advance and they plan their day and do it when they wish. I HATE interrupting their studies with petty chores that must be done, because I know how much I personally hate when I cannot count with my mental peace during my own studies, so I do my best to extend the favor to my kids.

 

If sloppiness or trying to get away with stuff occurs, then I need to put on the strict face and call them to do it, but otherwise, no.

[Brindee]

Mine help, but I don't make them when they are swamped with school. If I am desperate for help and they are very busy with school, I may ask for 15 minutes of concentrated help. I wouldn't want to have to clean house when I have a paper due either. :) As soon as I see they have time, we all clean like maniacs.

Oh yes, I forgot this. Cleaning doesn't have to take a lot of time away from studies! As I said before, they have their usual chores that they automatically do (and I have my chores that I do also, of course). None of the chores take them very long divided up like that. So the house can be very clean with 4 of us doing 15-30 minutes of chores a day!

 

Plus, we do the 15-minute thing too. If there is extra work that needs to be done we set the timer for 15 minutes. Then we all work as well and as quickly as we can to see if we can finish before the timer goes off. It's actually fun! We challenge each other, and laugh and talk during that time...... PLUS we get a lot of work done!!! :D

 

Honestly, I don't see how 15-30 minutes of chores a day (plus more on Friday, their shorter day) harms their studies?! I think it enhances it, because they learn what it takes to run a household, and how spending a few minutes each day can save LOTS of time later! :001_smile:

[Hunter's Moon]

I have daily chores (morning and afternoon dishes, tidy room, make bed, sweep kitchen, hall, and bathroom, and do the litter for the cats and give them food and water).

 

Then everyday of the week (except Fridays and Saturdays) I have room specific chores.

 

Monday is bathroom (vacuum all the nooks and crannies, mop) and kitchen (vacuum all the nooks and crannies, mop if needed).

Tuesday is dining room which is dusted, vacuumed, and I pick up any random items that have gravitated there (because, you know, surfaces are like magnets for junk)

Wednesday is living room which is dusted, vacuumed, and again, I pick up any random items.

Thursday is bathtub and toilet

Friday and Saturday is free for volunteer duties and friends and other outings

Sunday is my bedroom where I plan my school week in my planner, get my schoolbooks ready for the next day.

 

I enjoy doing them (not actually the act, but the idea) because yes, while I do schoolwork all day so I'm not doing nothing, I feel like a bum if I don't. My father works to pay for my schooling so I don't want him to come home to a sink full of dishes that he'll have to wash before he makes dinner for everyone.

 

I am not required to have an outside job though, school and chores is my job and contribution to my family. I'm very grateful for that as many of my friends were required to get jobs at 16 or 17.

[cindergretta]

We have "zones" here and a chore chart. You are responsible for the chores on your chart and keeping your zone tidy. School is not an excuse for not doing chores nor are chores an excuse for not doing school.

 

Chores are done upon getting up, with the morning routine. The day is spent doing school. Before dad gets home, we tidy and straighten, and before bed, we clean up seriously. There is no need to interrupt school to do chores or vice versa.

 

And my dc do have a LOT of chores. But honestly, they in order to do them all and well, it takes a total of 90 minutes, spread throughout the day. Maybe 30 in the morning, 15 before dad gets home, and 45 in the evening before bed. (The morning and evening parts often get switched, somehow... :confused: )

 

And they have sports, music, Scouts, church, etc. Even with their "busy lives," they still seem to find ample time for goofing off and clowning around! :D

[Moni]

I

feels wrong to me, to interrupt them

 

 

Mine do a lot of chores.

But not when they are studying.

 

We don't interrupt chores for Study.

And we don't interrupt Study for chores.

But they all do both.

 

A place for everything and everything in its place.

Same for a time for everything and everything its time. ;)

 

I like teaching them to be able to Run The House by the time they are 15.

Includes cleaning, cooking, menu plan, shopping within target budget $, know who to call for repairs, laundry specifics, dry cleaner errands, bell schedules (okay, we don't have a bell, ha) but Wake-up time, shower time, in bed time, time for classes, meal times, etc. Including making dentist appointments and similar by phone (consumer skills), registering themselves and doing the payment procedure for classes, seminars, etc.

 

We use a lot of lists, both for tasks and for Finding Info.

Toilet's leaking? Call so-and-so

Locked out of the house? Need a locksmith Call so-and-so

Need to take a Taxi, Call so-and-so

Just need to take the bus? Call so-and-so

Break a window? Call so-and-so

Want a Pizza?

Need a Notary?

To receive a fax?

Rent a mailbox, etc.

Bike repair, on and on...

 

But chores, sure.

Those advertisements for Maid Service that list each task they do make for Good Starter Lists for both Tidy up, and Deep Cleaning.

 

:seeya: