If you post a chore chart for your kids.....

[Mama2Many4]

Do you still stay on top of them to make sure their chores get done? Or do you leave it up to them to do them.

 

I've posted at least 5 different types of chore charts and expect my kids who are almost 8 and 6 do look at what they have to do and do it. Chores haven't been done in weeks. DH say's I need to enforce it to make it get done. I was looking for them to be responsible and do what is listed.

 

What do you do? Do you oversee your kids chores?

[tuzor]

I too have tried several different chore charts. My newest thing I tried about a year ago was this. I decided what chores were appropriate then I found a contract online and had my oldest sign it at our family meeting. I then went through the chores with him and explained when and how he should do them plus the rewards or consequences for not doing them. Once I knew he understood my expectations I had him sign the contract. Initially you have to remind them to look at the board but then it becomes routine.

[Mama2Many4]

Thanks for that idea! I may have to try that. I know they understand, we just weren't giving consequences for not doing them. Only rewards FOR doing them. Thanks.

[AHASRADA]

My dc each have 5 weekly chores to do, one per day. I set a time (after lunch) when they do the chore for that day. I sometimes still have to remind them, or they will conveniently "forget". They do get paid for these chores, so if they don't get done, no allowance.

 

There are other jobs, like dishes, taking out the trash, putting their laundry away, cleaning their rooms, which are just expected. No lists, no $$, it's just done.

[myfunnybunch]

At 8 and 6, it needs to be enforced daily until it is a habit.

 

My children start doing chores at age 4, with a different daily chore each weekday, and the same after-meal chores every evening. We do the daily chores at the same time every day. Even though my youngest (6) is in the routine of breakfast-self care-chores-play, he still needs to be gently reminded once in a while. Just a "Check your chore list to make sure you got everything," is usually sufficient.

 

It seems to take about a year of consistency to get to the point that it really is *independent*. My 10 y.o. rarely needs to be reminded to start chores even though he's mildly attention challenged. (He does, however, need reminders to finish sometimes.) My 8 y.o. is one of those remarkably on-task people who sequence well and can complete tasks from start to finish w/o much prompting or teaching, so he hasn't really needed to be reminded, ever, but that's unusual (imo). It still takes periodic checks to make sure my boys are doing the job well (enough for their age/motor skills), but now I am checking instead of reminding/teaching.

 

I'd expect that around 8-10, depending on the child and consistent teaching to establish routines, children should be able to be truly independent with chores, meaning they check the list and do the job well without being told. :)

 

ETA: Chores not being done would be a signal to me that I need to step in. Every once in a while the guys, either individually or as a group, will slip and chores won't get done for a few days...but as soon as I realize that they're not doing the chores, I step in. I usually just need to go over the chore chart again and remind them (matter-of-factly) that these jobs are their contribution to our household upkeep, just like Dad and I make the meals and do the laundry and so forth. We're a family and we need to work together to keep our home clean and comfortable. Then I ask them to do all of the chores that were left undone (usually 2-3 days worth at most). I help them get caught up if they need help because I want them to do the jobs willingly, not resentfully. (Helping, whether done on the context of getting caught up or just because I want to help, allows me to check on whether the child is cleaning well and gives me a natural opportunity to teach him to do the job even better.) Then, for a week or so, I take a step back into teaching/reminding mode, and I check on chores every morning until the boys are back in the groove. :)

 

Cat

Edited July 27, 2011 by myfunnybunch

[Lily_Grace]

I have a very tactile kid, so our most successful chore chart had a few components:

 

-contract we both signed, where I promised not to nag until after X time and he filled in a time he was willing to do the chores by.

 

-color coded strips, one for each chore each day, to move to the 'done' pocket. For example, there were 6 'make bed' and 1 'strip bed', 3 'tidy bathrooms', 1 'sweep floor'..

 

 

Color coded so I knew where he was working (his room, bathroom, or around the house)

 

 

And then there was an index card file next to it that explained the standards for each chore:

 

 

 

 

With all that set up, all I had to do was take the cards from the "done" pocket and look over each chore, then either put them in the jar or tell him "your chores are not done" and put the unfinished ones back in the day's pocket.

 

I did not argue, beg, or cajole. The standards and expectations were very clear. Those that were put back to be done again were placed in a second jar when finally finished.

 

With this system he also had leeway, too. At the end of the week we sat down and went over how many he accomplished on his own vs. how many needed to be redone and talked about them before taking all the cards to set them up for the new week. He could choose when to do certain chores like sweeping, stripping his bed, or dusting since only a few needed to be done daily.

 

 

......and then he went to school and started having busier days, which messed with our time schedule and everything else, so to get back into things we're using the Accountable Kids chart before tweaking it to make it our own.

 

 

 

ETA: we also have the rule in our house that nothing fun happens until chores are done. Free time after school? Not tv time, it's chore time! Want to go to a friend's house? Sure, as soon as chores are done!

Edited July 27, 2011 by Lily_Grace

[Pixjen]

I've started using Accountable Kids with my 7yo. He has to do his chores to earn tickets to do the things he wants to do, like watching tv. If he doesn't have a ticket he doesn't get to do it. That way I'm not penalizing him for NOT doing chores, but rewarding him for doing them. It's the "No work-y, no eat-y" principle.