S/O Lazy, whiney children

[ksr5377]

DH and I are wanting to give our children more responsibilities, but they are still fairly young. What chores do your younger (7 and under) children do?

[KrissiK]

My boys have been washing their clothes since they were 6. Now, it's mostly play clothes and I'm not that picky. Some people are picky about laundry. They take out trash, set the table, sweep patio, clean out silverware from dishwasher, clean out and vacuum the minivan.

[ssavings]

DD5 and DS4 set and clear the table, help empty the dishwasher, change their bed sheets, are responsible for their own toys/books/games, empty the small trashcans in their bedrooms, the craft area and the bathroom into the big trash can, dust the lows shelves in the living room, etc. they don't do all those things every day, we rotate through chores so they don't get boring. But all are pretty easy for them.

[happypamama]

My 7yo son:

-collects trash cans from around the house

-takes out trash, recycling, and compost

-makes bed

-tidies own room

-puts away own laundry sometimes

-vacuums

-wipes bathrooms

-clears own dishes

-assists with his little brothers (buckling them in carseats, tying shoes)

-cleans up toys and other stuff

-unloads and puts away groceries

-simple meal prep -- filling glasses/water bottles, setting table, making sandwiches, gathering ingredients for car trips, frying eggs, assisting me in the kitchen

 

My 3yo son:

-assists with baby brother (mainly keeping him company when I'm showering or something)

-cleans up toys (is more likely to clean up baby brother's toys than his own, LOL)

-wipes table

-sets table

-clears dishes

-assists older brother in tidying room, making bed, taking out trash, etc.

-puts away folded laundry occasionally

-helps older sister feed cats occasionally

-helps me with baking/cooking some

-packs own water bottle and toys for car outings

-gathers laundry from around the house and brings it to the laundry room every day

 

My 10yo DD can do all of the above things, plus she can cook more. Instead of trash, she empties the dishwasher and feeds the cats every day. She can also put sheets on her own bed.

 

The children don't do the jobs as well as I do, at least not for things like wiping the table, wiping the bathroom, or vacuuming, but that's okay. I still hit each room once a week for a more thorough clean, and in the meantime, they'll improve their skills. I can give DD her list, and she can do it without my help. DS1 may need a bit of instruction sometimes (the vacuuming and wiping are newish). DS2 can do the jobs but needs my help still sometimes to remember to check all the rooms for laundry (that is also newish, so the routine isn't quite set for him yet).

[PeacefulChaos]

Let's see... Neither one of the boys does all of these ALL the time - these are just the things that they are proficient at.

Link (8) gets the trash out of the small trash cans (ideally every Monday night, before the truck comes on Tuesday mornings, but we've been falling out of the habit lately...); empties the dishwasher; has just recently started loading the dishwasher, though we're still working on it being loaded to my specs; makes his bed (completely, if we launder his sheets, as well as daily); picks up toys (obviously lol); wipes the table after dinner; sweeps the hardwood floor; vacuums any hard floors; cleans the tub; scrubs the floor in the bathroom; dusts; brings laundry to laundry room and helps sort it.

AstroBoy (6) empties the dishwasher; makes his bed (daily); picks up toys; wipes the table after dinner; sweeps and/or dust mops the hardwood floor; cleans the tub; dusts; brings laundry to laundry room and helps sort it.

That's all I'm thinking of at the moment...and like I said, they don't always do them, these are just things they have done and are proficient at.

[Dory]

ds8 sorts and washes laundry, feeds some dogs, takes care of his cat (litter, food), and vacuums some of the rugs. Dd7 sorts and folds laundry, takes care of her dog, washes the bathroom sinks, vacuums the rugs that ds8 doesn't. Ds5 sets the table (not consistently yet), cleans window sills, dusts baseboards, makes his own bed and picks up toys, takes care of his dog (amazingly consistently). Ds5 also helps mop the floor which is a new thing for him and he only does bathroom floors yet as they are smaller.

All 3 of the kids work together to clean out the van completely about once a month as well.

[lea1]

My two 6.5 YO boys do the following:

 

- put away their own clean laundry

- make their beds (they were doing this daily but it has been hit or miss since we have been on break from school)

- clear their own places at the table

- sometimes they help clear the table and put leftovers away but not as often as they should and I want to start having them take turns sweeping up after meals (they tend to drop food on the floor)

- tidy their rooms

- tidy the playroom, upstairs loft area and living room (put away their stuff and put away / straighten their books mostly)

- empty the small trash cans in each of the bathrooms into a large bin

- tidy up their area of the van (they take books and toys out every time we go somewhere but never seem to bring any back in)

- sometimes I have them move clothes from the washer to the dryer for me and the turn on the dryer

[spaceman]

6yo

- makes bed, gets dressed and puts away pajamas, brushes teeth, cleans bathroom mirror, and turns garden hose on before breakfast (or anything!) every single morning

-is in charge of kids' snack time, including writing a "snack menu" and adding needed groceries to family grocery list (he is allowed to pick 2 different snacks to prepare, and only 3 non-staple ingredients...he gets really creative! Including a Latin-themed peanut butter balls this week :)), preparing, serving, and snack clean up

-cleans up ALL his own belongings after use and/or before each meal. In charge of bringing own dishes to sink after meals and using a crumbed to clean spot on table

-helps with laundry most days (this actually isn't even a chore, he just likes it because we get to have our grown up chats :))

-after dinner chores, every evening: rinse all dishes to put into dishwasher, hand wash handwash dishes, sweep kitchen floor

-Saturday only chores: empty trash from all rooms except kitchen, pick up in computer room, sweep & mop bedroom, dust (we all dust together), move sticks to prepare for mowing or raking/bagging leaves or other appropriate outdoor chore

 

3yo

-makes bed, gets dressed, puts pajamas away, and feed animals before breakfast every morning

-cleans up own belongings and dishes, as described above

-after dinner chores: wipe down svan chair, take recycling to bin outside, dry dishes that 6yo washed, change out kitchen towel, push kitchen laundry to laundry room and loads washing machine and turns dial to the star sticker (mom or dad add detergent and turn on)

-Saturday chores: puts empty bags out by trash cans for 6yo to put in empty cans, brings empty kids hangers to laundry room, puts front and backdoor rugs and bath mats in washing machine and turns dial to star, dust, picks up sticks from driveway or sidewalks or some other seasonally appropriate chore

 

 

 

I VERY RARELY pick up any mess my children cause after about age 2...and every time I consider doing it I realize doing it for them will rob them of the opportunity to learn what caring for their belongings and/or our house is REALLY like. I don't want them to only know the best case scenario, I want them in the mix understanding life's realities.

 

I also get rid of clothing that they cannot put on independently (such as jeans or tshirts that have gotten too tight...if they needed help to take it off before bath, it will be washed and given to goodwill). They do, of course, own some clothing that is challenging that they keep to work on the skill (my oldest wore sneakers every day at 5 until he could easily tie, then he had a choice of sandals or sneakers, etc.).

Edited June 27, 2012 by spaceman

[Trilliums]

Around that age I would have an cleaning time every couple of days where the boys would do things like go around the house with damp wash cloths and spot clean any spots on the walls, cabinets, around door knobs, etc. They'd also help mop and sweep (hold dust pan mostly), put away laundry etc. I like having family cleaning time because you see so much progress in a short period of time. But, I also do try to instill the notion of cleaning up as you go.

[msjones]

At that age mine wiped the bathroom daily, learned to vacuum, learned to dust, picked up toys, cleared the table, wiped the table after meals, made their beds (and did a lousy job), and loved to vacuum the couch cushions and put the couch back together.

[Soror]

4-7

Clean rooms ( I help organize rooms with a place for everything and it is to be done daily- with younger ones I will step in and oversee more- if it is consistently staying messy then there is too much stuff- I require dd1(just turned 5) to do hers often more than daily because she has more stuff and dd2.5 shares a room. I'm also helping more here and there (maybe weekly or every other week since the 2.5 yo moved in with her- DS7(almost8) is told daily but his room always stays clean)

make beds

set table

feed animals

laundry- here it is hang on line, fold your own and put away

pick up your own things

dress themselves- ds 2.5 does as well except church clothes as I have those up high and often there are buttons on them

take out and burn trash (ds has since he was 7)

check mail (requires crossing the 2 lane - not very busy paved road - ds has since 6 or 7)

watering garden- ds turns the sprinkler off and on, both help w/ plants on deck

 

 

 

these things are done when needed around the house, who and when this is done by changes as needed: (I'm sure there are other things but there is no set schedule so I don't always remember everything everyone is expected to pitch in as needed)

dusting

clean toilets/tubs/ sinks

sweep (although not very well)

wash floors

wash walls

help with cooking

help in garden- picking up rocks and such, weeding

help in yard, picking up sticks, helping with leaves, etc

pick up van, wipe down, vacuum

 

We are to be getting ready to get chickens and the children will likely help with gathering eggs.

Edited June 27, 2012 by soror

[LaxMom]

My 7 y.o.s unload the dishwasher, sweep, vacuum, clean toilets and sinks, tidy, do yard work, gather and sort laundry*, put their laundry away, make their own snacks and sometimes lunch, feed/water the dog, unload the dishwasher... Unless it takes a power tool, is physically not feasible due to size (e.g. taking out the trash, reaching the clothesline), or extremely complex, they can do it.

 

If you get two of them, you can give them a yard waste bag and a snow shovel to bag up the raking, then sit on the porch and have a beer while the neighbors come over and compliment you on their work ethic. :D

 

*I am one of the picky laundry people KrissiK mentioned. I like to see everything as it goes in so I can address any stains, and I iron pretty much everything, which is why they don't do the laundry or fold it. I am getting over my clothesline obsessiveness and letting my 11 yo hang stuff... ok, really, I just keep from going out back so it doesn't make me crazy. Baby steps. ;)

[Mimm]

At that age, my kids picked up after themselves, put away their own laundry (I washed it), helped in the kitchen (I teach them to cook), helped bring in groceries and put them away. They can learn to dust and windex windows and wipe down the bathroom counters and mop a floor as well.