What chores does your 10yo do?

[TXMomof4]

My 10 yo does quite a bit.

 

This is daily:

 

Keep her room reasonably clean daily

Fold and put away her laundry

Put her dishes in the dishwasher

Empty the plates or cups out of the washer (siblings do the other)

Sweep the dining area or clean the table and counters (upper or lower, again sibling does other half) after every meal

Help keep living areas neat - 10 min. pick up times throughout day.

Keep her school area neat and organized (relatively)

take turns taking out trash

 

We do deep cleaning once a week. She is responsible for one of the areas

 

bathrooms - clean counters, scrub toilet, wipe down tub, mirrors, sweep and wet swiffer bathroom floors

 

or

 

sweep and swiffer the downstairs area. Vacuum rugs and upstairs.

 

We all work together on dusting once a week and dh mops the downstairs.

 

Really I do very little actual housework. I sweep the floor throughout the day because it makes me crazy. I clean the cooking dishes usually. I really scrub the tub if it needs it. I wash and dry the clothes but the kids are responsible for folding a putting away all of it.

[rocketgirl]

My favorite chores my oldest kids (12 & 8) do are to empty the dishwasher & bring dirty laundry to the laundry room each morning, that way I can load both washers first thing. (One empties and puts away the top rack & the other does the bottom rack). They are also responsible for cleaning their own room, making their beds, putting away their clean laundry. My 12 year old has to fold her own clean laundry due to her not appreciating me doing it. They also get out their own breakfast & lunch, unless I make something & clean up their own dishes into the dishwasher so we don't have dirty stuff piled in the sink all day.

[Aggie]

Our 10yo

 

takes care of recycling and compost

 

weed eats, although I do pay for this :001_smile:

 

empties silverware and sometimes the entire dishwasher

 

feeds, waters, and cleans up after the dogs

 

helps extensively with laundry...sorting, some washing (I'm teaching all dc to hang it on the line now) helps to fold and put away

 

helps with all ranch chores including animals and garden related tasks

 

kills bugs, spiders and snakes

[GoVanGogh]

A ten year old is still a child. Yes, I agree in teaching children responsibility and giving them chores.... but age appropriate chores.

But 'child appropriate' has changed so much from generation to generation.

My husband and I both grew up on a farm where there is no such thing as 'child appropriate.' If you were walking and able, you were expected to do what was needed.

When I was ten, I was expected to help castrate pigs and 'dress' chickens. Many today would think that isn't child appropriate, but my parents certainly had no issue with us children doing that work.

My husband helped his parents build a house when he was ten. He stained every bit of baseboard in the house, plus nailed it on by himself.

I'm sure children of past generations had equally 'awful' chores. (Emptying the chamber pot?! Scrubbing knickers on a washing board?)

I actually think it is a new ideal that a 10-year-old is still very much a child. My grandma graduated high school at 16 and went to work in the factories during WWII. We tend to look back on that today and think it was awful, but it was just their way of life. That generation was certainly a sturdier lot than today, now that adulthood is pushed out further and further. My MIL hopes that her youngest will be "mature" (capable of adult responsibility) by the time the child is 25. :confused: With that expectation, 10 is certainly still a child. But if you expect children to enter adulthood at 18 then 10 doesn't seem that young.

It is actually a fascinating topic, I think - the evolution of chores and how it impacts age of adulthood.

[TXMomof4]

But 'child appropriate' has changed so much from generation to generation.

My husband and I both grew up on a farm where there is no such thing as 'child appropriate.' If you were walking and able, you were expected to do what was needed.

When I was ten, I was expected to help castrate pigs and 'dress' chickens. Many today would think that isn't child appropriate, but my parents certainly had no issue with us children doing that work.

My husband helped his parents build a house when he was ten. He stained every bit of baseboard in the house, plus nailed it on by himself.

I'm sure children of past generations had equally 'awful' chores. (Emptying the chamber pot?! Scrubbing knickers on a washing board?)

I actually think it is a new ideal that a 10-year-old is still very much a child. My grandma graduated high school at 16 and went to work in the factories during WWII. We tend to look back on that today and think it was awful, but it was just their way of life. That generation was certainly a sturdier lot than today, now that adulthood is pushed out further and further. My MIL hopes that her youngest will be "mature" (capable of adult responsibility) by the time the child is 25. :confused: With that expectation, 10 is certainly still a child. But if you expect children to enter adulthood at 18 then 10 doesn't seem that young.

It is actually a fascinating topic, I think - the evolution of chores and how it impacts age of adulthood.

 

:iagree: I expect way less of my kids than my parents did of me - and I'm certainly one of the meaner moms on the block. I am constantly amazed at how capable my kids are though. If I ask them and provide enough incentive (more freedoms, more fun) they are capable of doing most anything I ask. I am the control freak who has a hard time letting them at the stove. ;)

[Upward Journey]

He

 

-takes care of the chickens (only 2 now, since a dog got into the yard)

-trims the yard w/ weed wacker when needed

-folds and puts away own laundry

-takes out compost

-takes out trash and recylables

-makes his bed if reminded ;)

-keeps his bedroom tidy

 

-he's basically an agreeable little fellow, and likes being helpful, so most times he does whatever is asked w/o complaining much. Things like cleaning the bathroom, raking yard, mowing, sweeping porches etc.

 

Now my 7yo....don't get me started :tongue_smilie:

[kolamum]

Makes own bed

puts away all of own laundry; & second bathroom laundry

Folds all bathrooms laundry

Empties the dishwasher 3x a week

clears the table daily

puts away food after dinner daily

feeds pet guinea pigs daily

cleans their cage weekly or as needed

Trash/Recycle bin to the road weekly

Empties inside bins to outside ones as needed

cleans living room 3x a week

wipes down second bathroom 3x a week

sweeps as requested

vacuums 1-2x a week

empties dirty clothes hamper

helps hang laundry outside when asked

 

 

Mind you, it really only takes about 30 minutes or so in a day for him to accomplish them. We do pets in the am & everything else that may need doing after school so that we start the day {usually} with a fresh house. They do get a break between school & chores though. ;)

[Lovedtodeath]

This is all about to change however; she knows that I am working on making a family chore chart, she knows that there are things that will be expected of her, period, end of story. This thread has given me much inspiration

Something to keep in mind: Even adults fail when they try to add too much at once. The flylady system for getting adults organized starts with putting on your shoes and cleaning the kitchen sink everyday for a week, then another chore is added.

[Lovedtodeath]

 

It is actually a fascinating topic, I think - the evolution of chores and how it impacts age of adulthood.

I read a book about chores called Children Who Do Too Little and a major point was that it is our job to not just take care of kids, but to raise adults. They should be learning how to do these things sooner rather than later.

[Princess Peach]

Each day: sweep the floors, clean her room.

Friday night: do dishes (no dishwasher here).

 

She gets her allowance if these are done all week. I also ask her to do the odd extra chore.

[amo_mea_filiis.]

Not many of these things are done without reminding.

 

Dd-11. Helps with ds's bed (switching to ds soon). His bed is lofted, so doing it alone is impossible for me.

She switches laundry from washer to dryer and dryer to my bed. Separates socks and washcloths from pile and puts them away. Empties the dishwasher minus silverware (ds's job). Sweeps the dining room with ds. Wraps up leftovers. Will be helping to mow the yard soon.

 

Ds-7. Puts away silverware, helps dd with mist things. Learning to bathe on his own. Learning to strip his bed alone.

[CupOCoffee]

Something to keep in mind: Even adults fail when they try to add too much at once. The flylady system for getting adults organized starts with putting on your shoes and cleaning the kitchen sink everyday for a week, then another chore is added.

 

Thanks for the reminder not to overwhelm. One thing that I've had in place now for about 2 weeks is: without fail, absolutely without fail we all clean up after dinner; shiny sink included! I have to admit that that is one are where I failed miserably in the past -- I would let those dishes go...'nuff said. :tongue_smilie:

 

I think the reason why all my grand plans have failed in the past is because I forgot that point; taking it slow and easy this time around for sure.

 

~coffee~

[Luanne]

My mother grew up on a farm as the oldest of six children. She had no childhood at all. She vowed that she was not going to do that to her children. We were given some chores, but we were also allowed to be her children and not her slaves.

[AmyontheFarm]

I looked at your list and technically I don't think it is too much. You have spelled everything he needs done out step by step. When broken down most of those are not really chores, shower brush teeth etc. When he saw that list though did he get overwhelmed?

 

Like I said I don't think it is all chores exactly mostly personal care school and a few actual chores but I am just wondering if when he saw it all typed out did he feel like OMGosh? I could just see where a 10 year old would think that is so much all spelled out like that. Do your children actually check them off step by step? Do you have a system in checking them?

 

 

My son actually loves his list. He knows when he is done, he can get outside and run and play or go riding with Dad on a tractor. For him it is very freeing. My youngest dd, she just loves walking around like a little office administrator with her bi-focal glasses, clipboard and big red marker to check off everything that is completed. So, there is no OMG moments. Just freedom.

[Rene']

Of course, mine thinks I ask too much of her, so I thought I would do a survey here. :)

 

I have 3 daughters and rotate their chores every 4 months.

 

My almost 10 yo does these chores daily:

 

Cleans the mirror and sink in my bathroom, gathers the trash.

Vacuums the living room.

Loads the dishwasher with breakfast dishes.

Folds and puts away towels.

Makes her bed.

Straightens her room.

Picks up her stuff from around the house.

 

We use Chore Packs and the above chores are separated into morning and evening chores.

[ThelmaLou]

Yeah I tried some of these things. After he fell down the stairs several times taking care of trash/recycling I thought I'd have him do something else. He cleaned the bathroom once and it smelled like pee for a week. He broke my $450 vacuum cleaner.

 

*sigh*

 

I've been showing him laundry. He can sort of manage it, but he can't fold. Stuff is just all balled up.

 

He has broken several dishes, but I still have him empty the dishwasher.

 

I don't know what the deal is.

 

He is pretty good at cleaning his room and the downstairs rooms.

 

Yes! I could have written this. My 11year old is an accident waiting to happen. Seems like one would have to TRY to foul things up so much ;)

[Spock]

Of course, mine thinks I ask too much of her, so I thought I would do a survey here. :)

 

My 10 and 11yo rotate these chores on pretty much a random basis:

 

 

• load dishwasher/hand wash leftovers

• unload dishwasher

• clear and wash table

• put away folded laundry

• clean own room

• clean schoolroom--put away books, crayons, pencils, papers, blankets, toys, experiment supplies, etc.

• pick up toys/other messes they make

• vacuum (sometimes also done by their big brother)

• sweep (usually falls to their big brother)

• mop (usually falls to their big brother)

• clean bathroom(s)--needs to be inspected after to make sure they didn't forget something. Usually either I or my 18yo do this, though.

• trash/recycle

• check mail/put something in mailbox

• put clothes on clothesline/bring in clothes from clothesline--not often. Usually this falls to me.

 

Sometimes there are other things that come up, but the above are the chores they do nearly all the time.