What does your 6/7 year old do around the house?

[ourjourney]

My daughter will be 7 this month, and I want to have her start helping more around the house. She is very helpful, and will clean her room, etc. but I have been reading that people have children cooking/baking/cleaning.

So I'm wondering, what kind of things do your children help with?

[justLisa]

Pretty much whatever I am doing she will help a little. That said, housework is NOT at the top of my priority list :tongue_smilie:

[2_girls_mommy]

My almost 8 yr old makes her bed and empties the dishwasher daily. She is expected to keep her room picked up and pick up things around the house that she uses.

 

She likes to make smoothies in the blender, so she does that whenever we have lots of ingredients. That isn't a chore though, she likes cooking. She is always in the kitchen when I am. My other child likes it occasionally, but this one is there every meal helping me. She likes it when there are things she can do herself.

 

When I fold laundry, I give each child their stack and each is expected to put their clothes in the right drawers. It isn't as neat as when I do it, but they won't ever get it neat if they don't do it :)

 

Hmm, other than that, it is just to do what I ask. On days that I need to mop the bathroom I send her in to take everything off of the floors and bring it out so that I can sweep and mop. If it is trash day I will send her or sis to the bathroom and bedrooms to bring me the trash bags (walmart sacks) out of the small containers and tell them to put new ones in. Stuff like that.

[jujsky]

Mine feeds the dogs, makes her bed, cleans her room, and loads/unloads the dishwasher (her brother helps with this -- one sits on the counter while the other one hands up the dishes). She will also do random tasks as I assign them, like washing the dining room table and coffee table/end table, putting away movies that have been left out and piled up, straightening the book cases, dusting, matching socks, etc.

[twoxcell]

My 6 year old unloads the dishwasher, cleans her room, helps clean the living room, folds towels and sometimes helps with clothes, puts her folded clothes away, switches the laundry, sets the table, wipes down tables, and helps me with cooking. She doesn't do all of these daily. ;)

[Dory]

my 7 year old daughter and 8 year old son both know how to set the table, sort laundry and get it into the washing machine. My daughter has her own little cordless vacuum and she vacuums their rooms. My son uses the big vacuum and vacuums rugs and under the couch cushions. They make their own beds and fully clean their own rooms although my dd still needs me to check and make sure she got everything. They don't do any of it perfectly, but they do it fairly well and they're proud about it and I'm proud of them for pitching in and working around here. I am starting to teach them how to clean the bathroom sinks.

[ElizabethB]

My 7 year old unloads the dishwasher, placing things too high to reach in a pile on a designated clean counter that never gets dirty dishes placed there.

 

He can microwave leftovers with a stool and make himself cereal and several different types of sandwiches. He can set the table if I get down the dishes for him, or I'll have him set it with all plasticware if I need him to--that is all down where he can reach.

 

He can take out the garbage if it isn't too heavy.

 

When my daughter was 7, she wasn't strong enough to take out the garbage, but she was folding laundry, my son isn't that great of a laundry folder at 7. He is good at putting away laundry once it is folded.

 

He can vacuum, but at 7 my daughter wasn't tall enough to vacuum. But, my daughter was capable of sweeping the floor at 7 and he's not very good at sweeping the floor.

[nono]

Well, I don't have any set things they must do except straighten their toys up, but they regularly volunteer to do things like set the table, sweep the porches, water the gardens, clear the kitchen table, bring in the trashcans after the trashmen come through, and such. Because the volunteer so readily, I haven't had to make things "their" things to do.

[2_girls_mommy]

Oh, I forgot that mine both get their own breakfast most days. I don't usually cook breakfast. I keep cereals, yogurts, and fruits around for most everyday breakfasts. In the winters I do make oatmeal more regularly, and I do eggs or pancakes 1-2 times a week. So she does that with her sis while I am exercising or getting ready in the mornings.

 

And like PP, she helps bring in the cans from the street on trash day, but also not assigned. She and sis just go do it usually. Who am I to argue with that??

[MiniBlondes]

She feeds and waters the cats, cleans the litter box, helps her sister empty the dishwasher, sorts and washes clothes, takes out the recycling, dusts, vacuums, gets the mail, cleans her room, puts her clothes away, gets her own breakfast. She likes to help me cook but she doesn't do any of it by herself just yet.

[Mom-2-7]

Over the course of the week, my kids:

 

Get their own breakfast cereal

Sometimes make a pb & j for lunch

Vacuum family room

Vacuum kitchen

Clean a toilet & wipe down the counters

Throw the laundry down the stairs, sort and put the first load in the washer

Unload the dishwasher

Fold (more or less) and put their own laundry away

Sweep the walkway to the house.

Keep their rooms clean

[mandymom]

My youngest cleans off the stairs (takes clothes, shoes, toys, ect to the room that they belong in), cleans off the table, helps with laundry (he knows how to start the washing machine all by himself, but that isn't assigned to him), helps unload the dishwasher, folds and puts away his clothes, cleans his room, and generally whatever we need help with. Being that he is the youngest (and a big gap between him and the next youngest), he is usually helping someone else with his or her chore, but he is able to do all of those things. We don't have set chores for each kid, just whatever needs to be done gets done.

[LMD]

My oldest just turned 7. She loves cooking and would do it everyday if I let her, but she still requires supervision. She can make scrambled eggs, pancakces, cupcakes, and most anything simple from a recipe.

 

Her daily morning jobs are: making her bed, tidying her room & feeding the cat. She'll do most jobs I ask in the moment, yesterday I had both my oldest two dusting while I mopped. They'll both also put away their own laundry (but this needs to be checked as they inherited my lazy gene!). My nearly 5 year old takes the recycling items out to the bin as needed, and he loves helping make a salad!

 

They do things like set the table and pack away toys etc. Sometimes I think they are getting off way too easy though!

[jenangelcat]

My 6 year old can do and has done pretty much anything that I do with the exception of cooking. She can prep cold stuff but no stove stuff yet. She's been most of this for about 2 years now. My four year old can do some of the stuff on this list, she's a lot less coordinated than her sister was at her age.

 

laundry

put clothes away

load and unload dishwasher

make beds

vacuum

set the table

wipe down the table

litter box

general tidying

feed and water farm animals

make breakfast (cereal, sandwiches etc)

she'd steam mop if I let her

[Impish]

Drive his sisters nuts.

[KrissiK]

Every day My 6 yr. old dd cleans the silverware out of the dishwasher, makes sure the cats have food and water and cleans the breakfast dishes off the table.

[myfunnybunch]

Sweep and mop, put away laundry, fold towels and dish cloths, clean door handles and light switches, wash windows, clean kitchen cabinets and baseboards, spray and clean the tub. Outdoors: Weed, rake leaves, pick up dog poop.

 

He can help with basic meal prep, but (unlike his older brothers) he's a little, well...not clumsy, but unaware of his body in space. He's not ready to handle a knife or the stove.

 

Cat

[sourpatchbaby]

My six year old cleans up his room, makes his bed (well, attempts to anyways), picks up the playroom, takes the recycling to the garage, puts away his laundry, puts away the dishes, and takes out the bathroom trash. Both him and his four year old brother do all the above and usually do it together as a team. The six year old also volunteers to bring in the trash cans from the curb and bring in the mail.

[Farrar]

My 7 yos do many of the things listed above - putting things away, emptying and loading the dishwasher, etc. They don't vacuum or fold clothes or make their beds, but we're not much on making beds. We don't have a set chore list. When I'm cleaning, I expect them to help. I tell them what to do and they do it. Usually works without too much whining.

[amydavis]

My dd is an older 7 (she'll be 8 at the end of this month). These are the things I can think of off the top of my head.

 

-carry dirty clothes to laundry room

-sort dirty clothes into correct baskets

-put away clothes that her older sister has folded or hung

-do general picking up in classroom, living room, etc (of toys, shoes, dishes, and misc. items that need to be returned to their correct places)

-help her siblings put away groceries after shopping trip

-pet care (feeding animals, walking them, etc.)

-help her siblings clean out the vehicle

-wash dishes (by hand since we don't have a dishwasher)

-spray and wipe down surfaces (counters, bookcases, etc.)

-help tend to her older brother with autism when parents are occupied (she will sit with him and keep him occupied with a puzzle, or by asking him questions from his flash cards)

 

*The last one is a pretty unique one to our family, but it is perhaps her most important job, and one that she does even better than her older siblings. She just has the personality for it, and he actually listens to her!

 

The only daily things she really has are dishes, and helping with general tidying up. But the other things are given to her on some kind of regular basis.

Edited July 14, 2012 by amydavis

[amo_mea_filiis.]

My 7 year old is far from consistent with any of these things, but these are things he is capable of doing or is learning to do:

 

Strip his bed as needed

Make his bed

Fold and put away his clothes

Separate, fold, and put away wash cloths

Put away stacks of folded towels

Sweep the porch

Shower alone

Put away utensils from dishwasher or counter

Set the table

Help dd with laundry

Clean the toilet

Mop the floors

Help bring in and put away groceries

Wipe the molding near the floor

Clean the windows from the outside (he uses too much cleaner to do inside! Lol)

Pick up the yard for mowing

 

All of these things he has done at least once and i'm working to make them part of his chores. I'm sure there's a few i'm missing.

[Devan]

My oldest turned 7 in March.

Some of his chores include:

feeding pets

sweeping

picking up toys, books, general mess in his room and the rest of the house

Setting and clearing the table including washing it.

Simple cooking tasks (supervised only)

Hang and fold and put away his own laundry

Washing windows

Helping with siblings if needed (limited)

[bluemongoose]

My 7.5 yo helps by:

 

• holding the baby (if he needs it) when I need to cook
  
• emptying the dishwasher
  
• occasionally vacuuming the hardwood floor
  
• bringing down her dirty clothes and loading them in the washer (I assist with selecting the cycle and adding the correct amount of soap)
  
• transfering her washed clothes to the dryer and then putting them in her drawers
  
• putting toothpaste on her little brothers tooth brushes for them
  
• cleaning her room
  
• clearing off or setting the table (all the kids take turns with this job)
  
• helping me cook by gathering ingredients from the pantry or fridge
  
• feeding the cats
  

 

Forgot to add, she makes her bed and strips it and changes sheets when needed.

[I.Dup.]

I just recently started my 7.5 yo on chores and he has really blossomed with more responsibility.

 

His daily chores:

Take the dog out

Feed the dog

Unload the dishwasher

Put dirty dishes in dishwasher

Help older sister fold clothes

Clean up schoolroom

Brush teeth

Complete his schoolwork

[kricau]

My DD (7yrs) :

 

Daily-

Feeds/waters her dog.

Cleans up after herself.

 

Cleaning Day- (one or more of these)

Collects/replaces the trash bags from all the cans in the house.

Puts away her folded clothes.

Vaccums (her idea not mine LOL)

Mops (also her idea)

Dusts

[Mommy22alyns]

Sylvia rounds up trash cans, folds towels and other simple things, she can clean the bathroom, she puts away her clothes and picks up after herself. I don't have her cooking yet, but Rebecca started at around 8. She can make her bed, but I rarely have the girls do that.

 

Neither girl has a set chore list; they just do what I ask them.

[bamagirl]

My DD7 makes her bed, cleans her room and any of her stuff left in living areas, sets the table, puts dishes in sink, helps unload dishwasher, takes her laundry to room, helps fold her laundry and puts in her drawers. She loves to dust and clean the glass in our front/back door, so I let her do that on occasion too. She loves to help me cook, but doesn't do that on her own. She will put toast or waffles for her and brother in toaster.

[acablue]

Each of my boys have three responsibilities. Nathan pours all the drinks for our meals, unloads the dishwasher and puts the clean clothes away. James makes sure the dogs always have water, picks up dog poop and empties all the little garbage cans. They also keep their room clean and pick up after themselves.

[Sara in AZ]

I'll tell you what my DS7 does all day....lie around on the couch moaning about how tired he is and how unfair everything is. His chores are generally:

 

*unload dishwasher

*wash/dry/fold his own laundry

*clean bathroom (splits this with sister)

*pick up his bedroom floor and sweep/mop once a week

*fold towels when I wash them, usually once a week

*set or clear table for dinner

*make bed daily

*clear his own dishes after meals

 

On occasion:

*spray doorknobs/light switches

*dust

*Clean glass in sliding or french doors

*help clean out the car

*clean up backyard toys

 

It all depends on how much energy I have to nag him, though.

[shellbelle]

My 7 yo has a few daily chores like making her bed, cleaning her room, taking care of the pets.

 

Other tasks that she is capable of doing as needed are:

 

watering/weeding plants

vacuuming

dusting

wiping down surfaces (table, counters)

setting table

making simple snacks

folding/putting away laundry

running bath water for little sister

clearing the table

emptying the dishwasher

[Mrs.Gregg]

She wipes the table after meals

sweeps the kitchen (though I do a double check/sweep a few times a week).

Makes her bed to the best of her ability.

Dusts.

Helps put laundry in the laundry bins.

Puts all her own laundry away.

Picks up her toys and keeps her room tidy.

helps with weeding.

Feeds the cats.

[hollyh]

A couple more ideas

My 5.5 yo cleans baseboards, wipes down the hallway/stair walls, dusts, scrubs the table or counters (she loves this), wipes down the bathroom counters, learned to clean the toilet yesterday, cleans out dishwasher, feeds cat, organizes toys or the shoe baskets, vacuums with the handheld vacuum, sweeps kitchen with an electrical sweeper (lightweight - actually my 2yo does this too), cleans her room (needs help w/ this one), makes her bed, throws laundry down stairs, loads laundry, and sets the table.

 

(These are not on a regular basis, but help to give more ideas of competency level.)

[mom2denj]

My dd is 6 and she loves to help around the house. I will give her a spray bottle with water and she washes the windows that she can reach. I let her dust the coffee table and wash the dining room table. She also loves to sweep and mop the wood floors. I love it when they are this age. Now, I need to start a thread on what everyone's 15 yr old dd's do??? :D

[SorrelZG]

I'm going to be back to read this thread when I have more time. All I have my 6yo doing regularly (besides helping pickup rooms) is to feed the dog in the morning and wipe down the mirror and sink in the children's bathroom with vinegar in the evening. I need more ideas. Occasionally he sweeps and washes the hall or kitchen floor. Sweeping is more frequent but still irregular.

[violingirl]

On a daily basis my almost 7yo is responsible to pick up after himself (toys, keeping his room clean, dirty laundry, dishes) and fold and put away his laundry.

 

As far as other things, our boys do what we ask- no one has assigned chores. We do tend to do chores together with each person having a role to play- like when we empty the dishwasher I put away the dishes in the upper cabinets, one boy puts the silverware away and the other puts away anything that goes in the lower cabinets. When we do the bathrooms I start on the tub/shower, 6.5yo does the toilet and 5yo wipes down the counters and the baseboards. I go back over their work in the bathrooms to make sure it's really clean, but they do a pretty good job.

 

My almost 7 year old is also able to run an entire load of laundry from start to finish (I still watch while he does the detergent though since this is a pretty new job for him), vacuum, any quick dust mopping we do, baseboards, helping with organizing. As far as other things- he can also get breakfast and lunch for himself and his brother if I need him to including using the microwave and toaster. He helps me cook a lot and is getting pretty good with a knife to help me chop veggies and stuff.

[kesmom]

We just started the 6 year old with loading and unloading the dishwasher, with some help from us. She also helps me with little things like loading the washing machine, carrying in groceries, wipe down baseboards etc....

 

We are about to add a few weekly chores too - wiping bathroom sinks, swiffering bedrooms and cleaning the sliding door.

[lea1]

My two almost 7 year old sons:

 

put away the clean dishes from the dishwasher (usually once a day),

empty the small trashes in all of the bathrooms into the larger trash can (twice a week),

tidy their rooms and make their beds (beds-daily, rooms-as needed),

tidy the upstairs loft, the downstairs playroom and the living room (as needed),

sweep the front and back porch (once a week),

put away their clean clothes and return their clothes basket to the laundry room (as needed).

They are also pretty good about cleaning up their own messes when they spill something in the kitchen.

 

I am in the process of teaching them to clean up the kitchen after dinner (I give them a lesson a couple of times a week). One rinses the dishes and loads the dishwasher while the other puts leftovers in plastic containers and puts them in the fridge, wipes down the table and sweeps the floor under the table and around the chairs. I am getting ready to teach them how to start a load of laundry.

[Dustybug]

My 6.5 yo folds and hangs her own laundry, makes her bed, cleans her room, sweeps, dusts, folds towels, helps me with cooking on a basic level(stirring, mixing, cutting veggies).

[Berta]

My daughter just turned 7. She puts her own laundry away, is supposed to keep her room neat, collects the chicken eggs and makes sure the feeders are full, walks the dog out to the dog pen/brings him back in.

 

I'm starting a full time job this week so I am pretty sure I will be adding to her list.