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What is your eleven-year-old's chore schedule?


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We have rotating chores, but some of the chores that are done by my 10 year old ds include:

Keep his room clean

Help clean the kids' bathroom

Sort laundry

Empty trashcans from around the house and take them out to the garbage

Help tidy the downstairs

Put away clean dishes from the dishwasher

Help dry dishes and put them away

Clean out the car

Take care of pets-feed, water, pick up poop, etc

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I have a 12yo. He does these things daily:

 

Morning

Make bed

 

Afternoon

Tidy his room and bathroom (sink, toilet, floor)

 

Evening

Pick up any stray belongings around the house

Make sure clothes go in the hamper

 

 

Weekly:

Wash, dry, fold, and put away his laundry

Strip his bed and wash sheets

Sweep/mop bathroom

Sweep/dust/mop bedroom

 

These are mandatory. If he gets them done by a certain time he gets a ticket to turn in for a privilege, if he doesn't then I get to nag until he does.

 

And then if he wants to be paid for chores, he has these to choose from:

Tidy downstairs bathroom

Babysit

Yard work (weeding, clipping, etc)

Mowing the lawn

Tidy and vacuum living room

Take out the trash

Dishes

Setting and clearing the table (to include wiping it down)

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We have rotating chores, but some of the chores that are done by my 10 year old ds include:

Keep his room clean

Help clean the kids' bathroom

Sort laundry

Empty trashcans from around the house and take them out to the garbage

Help tidy the downstairs

Put away clean dishes from the dishwasher

Help dry dishes and put them away

Clean out the car

Take care of pets-feed, water, pick up poop, etc

:iagree:This is almost exactly my dd11 list.

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We're not big on chores here but my 11 yr dd:

 

keeps her room clean

helps younger dd clean the gameroom

helps younger dd clean the bathroom

does her laundry

cleans off and puts dinner dishes in dishwasher

occasionally helps with dishes, sweeps, dusts, vacuums

(I usually only ask her to help with those a few times a month)

 

She also helps mow the yard ~ we use a reel mower.

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It really depends on the week as I have 5 kids to help out with the housework.

 

My 12 year old is responsible daily for picking up his mess. My kids are all old enough and to pick up after themselves.

 

My kids are responsible for on a rotating schedule:

 

lawn work

sorting, folding, putting away laundry (dh or I do the washing)

unloading the dishwasher (only I am allowed to load)

setting and clearing the table

taking out the trash

feeding the animals

changing litter-boxes

vacuuming

cleaning bathrooms

and just general cleaning as needed

 

basically I am not a maid but I don't mind keeping a clean house, I just want reasonable help and I think that they should learn to do basic house chores.

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My 11 year old daughter does these chores and has been doing them for several years:

 

Milk the cow once a day

Feed the cow and calf twice a day

feed the chickens/let in and out of coop twice a day

haul firewood twice a day

start a fire in the cookstove

water the horses

feed the horses

clean her room once a week/maintain

we trade rooms in the house that we're responsible for during the week so whatever room/bathroom she's responsible for that week is kept clean

take care of her parakeets

put clean dishes away

make dinner occasionally

water the garden (seasonally obviously, like the firewood)

her cat's litter box every few days

she does her own laundry

 

She's always on deck to help me or her father with just about anything, as is her brother. His chore list is just as long. I consider it my motherly duty to phase myself out of a job. :)

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when she gets up, she opens up the chicken coop and fills food/refreshes water.

 

Then she'll let the dogs out, wiping their paws when they come back in.

 

She'll then get breakfast, because I'm a slow mover in the morning. If she doesn't want to eat right away, I'll make breakfast for all three of us.

 

She has to let our 14 yo dog out every 2 hours, replacing the diaper when she comes back in.

 

we do barn chores together at night.

 

She helps clean/pick up all day.

 

She is in charge of washing, drying, folding and putting away all towels. This happens twice per week.

 

I have her do a thorough cleaning of her room once per week, including vacuum.

 

closes in chickens at night.

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We have rotating chores, but some of the chores that are done by my 10 year old ds include:

Keep his room clean

Help clean the kids' bathroom

Sort laundry

Empty trashcans from around the house and take them out to the garbage

Help tidy the downstairs

Put away clean dishes from the dishwasher

Help dry dishes and put them away

Clean out the car

Take care of pets-feed, water, pick up poop, etc

 

:iagree:

That's about all of it. Only thing I add in is gardening help. He'll help with the raking and bagging, when I make a new bed and rip up sod, weeding garbage that has to be dumped, etc.

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We aren't big into assigned chores, we are more of do it when it needs to be done family.

 

That being said, on Sundays dd12 is responsible for:

 

Cleaning her room impeccably including vacuuming.

Vacuuming the stair case, landing and hallway.

Cleaning 3 bathrooms including doing the floors.

 

 

During the week, various chores may include

 

Straightening the shoe closet

Vacuuming the downstairs

helping in the kitchen

Dishes

Sweeping

Helping with various stages of laundry

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We don't have set chores, with the exception of keeping his room clean, with the bed made. He frequently vacuums, cleans out my car, empties the dishwasher, cares for our dogs, and is quick to help when called. He doesn't dust, or do much yard work due to his allergies. (His ten year old brother usually helps with those.). None of my sons wash, but they will fold and put anything away.

 

His most important responsibility is to help with the electronics when I can't figure them out!

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Both of my kids, ages 10 & 11 have the same chores. Some they are responsible for every day, and others rotate, depending on the day.

 

Every day

 

Personal care (brush teeth, wash face, etc...)

Feed pets (2 guinea pigs & dog)

Walk dog several times throughout the day

Make bed

Tidy bedroom

Empty dishwasher

 

Rotating days

 

Fold/put away laundry

Sweep/vacuum

Mow lawn

Clean bathrooms

Help cook dinner

Clean guinea pigs' cage

Bathe dog

Dust/wipe baseboards & other woodwork

Empty garbage cans/take to curb

Edited by Paintedlady
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We have rotating chores, but some of the chores that are done by my 10 year old ds include:

Keep his room clean

Help clean the kids' bathroom

Sort laundry

Empty trashcans from around the house and take them out to the garbage

Help tidy the downstairs

Put away clean dishes from the dishwasher

Help dry dishes and put them away

Clean out the car

Take care of pets-feed, water, pick up poop, etc

 

This is almost exactly my youngest two's chores when they were 10. They are 12 now and I have added a bathroom to clean by themselves two times a week and mopping the hardwood.

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Great thread! I am ready to add dishes and KP duty for my 10yo and 7yo because I am starting to feel like Cinderella myself.

 

Currently, 10.5yo does this as responsibility:

 

His own laundry (sometimes I help)

His own bed linens (ditto)

Cleans his room

Helps tidy toys and toddler-untidy items in the living areas of the house

Vacuums upon request

Tidies our back yard

Trash detail and recycling detail

Sets/clears the table upon request

 

For pay on occasion:

 

Vacuums and washes vehicles

Heavy duty yard work such as digging out small saplings from the flower beds

Extra laundry duty

Bathroom cleaning

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I need to show these lists to my children, who after reading these will realize they are not as oppressed as they think.

 

My 11 year old is responsible for the following:

Weekly:

Clean downstairs powder room.

Dust living room.

Dust and vacuum her room.

Empty her bedroom garbage can

 

Daily;

Pick up after oneself.

 

As needed:

Unload dishwasher.

Take out kitchen trash.

Walk the dog.

Clean up dog waste from the yard.

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My kids(10, 12, 15yo) are expected to:

do their own laundry

clean their assigned room usually includes pickup, sweep and mop or vacuum, wiping down tables, mirrors, tvs, etc., We rotate the kids among kitchen, dining room, bathrooms, and living room. Kitchen gets put away dishes, help with cooking; dining room includes setting and clearing the table; stuff like that

keep their own rooms neat

clean and brush cat, play with cat

clean fish tank, feed fish

 

5yo we work in where we can, he is still a work in progress

15yo is adding cooking meals and helps with dishes (occasionally without being ASKED!!!!)

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This is my 7th grader, but he had the same chores last year:

 

 

After getting up and dressing for chores:

  • Make bed, get out some clothes for the day (preferably clean ones, but this is a bit of a battle lately)
  • Help feed cattle (involves hauling buckets of ration)
  • Help feed hogs (involves hauling buckets of chopped feed)
  • Help scrape the hog barn alleys (involves using a shovel to move waste out of the alley; he's not big enough to scrape the pens yet)

After a shower, getting dressed for the regular day, breakfast, and brushing teeth:

  • School
  • Help tidy the house (mostly involves picking up his own stuff, or going to get his laundry out of his room to be washed, sometimes involves mopping a floor with the Swiffer, or wiping counters, doors, baseboards, etc.)

Before supper:

  • Take care of his 4-H calf (grooming, lead training)

Evening:

  • Set the table
  • Take his turn helping to dry or put away dishes (dh always washes)
  • Quick tidy before bed (just putting away toys or books or whatever is left out at the end of the day)

He doesn't have to help with evening feeding chores, but sometimes does anyway.

It is expected that he will keep his things tidy and his room moderately presentable. I do not expect him to keep it immaculate, but I should be able to see the floor and it shouldn't smell offensive in there. I expect him to strip his own bed to have his sheets washed. I usually have to ask him to do it because I don't think he cares if he sleeps in stale sheets. Sometimes I ask him to help re-make the bed if the sheets are fresh, but he makes his own bed on a daily basis.

 

I don't think we ask much of him. Even with farm chores, he is helping, not on his own (with the exception of his calf) and isn't asked to do anything that isn't capable of doing physically. FWIW, I've never heard him whine about farm chores, but he does whine about having to tidy up sometimes. I think that's normal. I don't like most cleaning and tidying up either, but I try to keep a good attitude about it and I don't let his whining win him anything.

 

HTH.

Edited by Audrey
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My kids are expected to do what they see needs to be done OR what they're asked to do. My 10 year old can do the following things independently, well enough to pass muster:

 

load/empty dishwasher

collect/sort/load/hang-dry/iron/put away laundry

sweep, mop, vacuum

mow the lawn, weed the planters

clean bathroom (counters, mirrors, floor, toilet)

inventory pantry and refrigerator to create a grocery shopping list

clean mini-blinds with the nifty mini-blind-cleaning-tool

vacuum upholstery and curtains

dust furniture

oil the table and desk (wood furniture)

prep/make meals and snacks

assist younger kids with hygiene (teeth, hair, showers, dress)

change sheets and duvets

flip the smaller futons

wash the car (but not wax); vacuum and scrub interior (but not fully detail the car)

scrub refrigerators and freezers

feed the pets and maintain their habitats

babysitting younger kids

 

We're not picky about the shape of the bedroom, but he's also responsible to make sure all of his gear for extracurriculars is in the appropriate place in the garage. The kids have a locker-type set-up with a place for everything; he's responsible to return everything to its place immediately upon returning home.

 

My kids pull their weight. They work harder than many of their 'suburban' peers, but not as hard as kids they know that garden or raise livestock (our small town is in transition from rural to semi-suburban).

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Start laundry in the morning before he comes upstairs. Help 8 yo unload dishwasher and put dishes in rack away. Help 16 yo with trash (we have a complicated trash system because we only go to the dump once a year so we recycle, burn and compost) he is solely in charge of compost. Feed and water cats. Help put away laundry. Clean a bathroom once a week (more or less). General help with tidiness.

On "stand-by" for house re-build projects.

Plant, weed, dig, water, harvest in garden.

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My dd does a similar list to Mrs. Mungo's--but it just seems to happen, not really on a schedule anymore. We were much more scheduled with her brothers.

 

She's responsible for:

 

doing her own laundry

changing/remaking her bed and cleaning up her room

clearing the table (and setting if I ask) after dinner

fixing her lunch and breakfast, unless I'm cooking that day or she is running late (she's in school now)

 

She also:

 

feeds the pets

empties the trash around the house

takes out the newspapers

waters plants

helps tidy up (runs things upstairs, etc)

dusts

cleans the bathroom downstairs (half-bath)

sweeps (all wood floors in our home)

empties and fills the dishwasher

 

Very occasionally she will:

mop the K floor

shake out rugs

do other laundry, like throw in a load of towels

completely do the dishes

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Here are my dd's (12) daily chores:

 

Straighten bedroom

vacuum stairs and upstairs landing

take out recyclables

feeding gerbils

Walking the dog

Straighten shoe rack

Straighten entryway

Empty small trash cans

set table for supper

 

She has other chores that are not daily, including yardwork, deep room cleaning, window washing, cleaning gerbil cage, bathing dog, etc. She sometime switches certain daily chores with her brother (13 y), whose chores are:

 

bedroom

empty dishwasher

vacuum family room

sweep living room

straighten dining room/school room

Scrubbing Bubbles in bathroom sinks

Take laundry to basement

get mail and paper

 

Gee, when I type the daily chores out, they seem to be doing a lot! Chore time really only takes 30 minutes, which as you can imagine, means they aren't the most thorough cleaners in the world, but they get the jobs done.

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