crazyfordlr Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 Mama's on strike. I've let things get to out of control. What are your 9 and 11 yo's doing to help around the house? How much is expected, how much is extra? How do they earn money, points, rewards, etc? I thought I knew what I was doing, but not so much. I came home from work this morning and had a total meltdown. I got so angry I almost punched the wall. No joke. I yelled like a two year old instead. Very becoming, let me tell you. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 (edited) my kids help as needed: set/clear table. (ETA: I expect dishes to be cleared away when I get home from work; if they neglect this, I get really angry, especially when I work late.) empty/fill dish washer clean their bathroom take down and fold their laundry They are responsible for their own rooms. They help with yard work. I pay DS to mow the lawn because that is a big time consuming chore that goes beyond household help, and to iron because that's my chore that I hate. Other than that, I do not give rewards, points or money fro household help. I expect them to contribute because they are part of a family. Both get an allowance so they can learn financial responsibility. Edited October 29, 2012 by regentrude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheReader Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 I am home, so not sure how much of what my boys do will easily translate to things they'd have to do on their own if I was not at home to supervise. I think it's still a reasonable list, but.....who knows. My 11 yr old currently does the following: -keeps his room neat & tidy -clears the table before dinner, sets the table for meals (and each clears his own dirty dishes after a meal) -helps with general pick-up/tidying throughout the week On Fridays, we do a Cleaning Day. He is responsible for: -vacuum his bedroom, make his bed (in addition to his general "keep it tidy" requirement) -clean his bathroom (toilet, sink/counter, mirror, floor; I don't have the boys do shower/tub) -sweep & mop (or vacuum if he prefers) the living room floor Plus whatever odd jobs I need that week -- dusting, windows, doors, walls, etc. For ex, last week, his extra job was to take a clean rag and soapy water and scrub the walls where the dog likes to lie. She leans on the wall, it gets dirty and must be scrubbed. (product of having terrible paint here....) So, he did that. Other weeks though he has wiped all the dust off the doors in the house, dusted shelves thoroughly, cleaned the sliding glass doors, etc. He won't ever have more than one of this odd/extra jobs in any given week, but he IS the go-to person for taking them. In addition to all of that, each boy puts away his own clean laundry, and both the 11 and the 15 yr old can take the trash out, get the mail, clean the yard of dog messes, water the grass, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgo95 Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 My 6, 8, and 10 yr olds do the following: sort and fold towels as well as their own clothes, tidy their rooms (including making their beds), tidy the house of all their stuff (clothes, toys, books) clear the table, empty the dishwasher, make simple breakfasts for themselves and the 3 yr old, put most of the groceries away, sweep the dining room, wipe-down their bathroom, help with yard work (light physical work), and help dust. Some of these tasks are expected to be done automatically but I prompt and remind them for most things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyfordlr Posted October 29, 2012 Author Share Posted October 29, 2012 Thanks, ladies! I vacillate between too much and not enough work for the girls. I'm going to take some clues from y'all ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kroe1 Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 The whole chore thing just seems like a lost cause in my case. I envision lists, disgruntled kiddos, passive aggressiveness, and me yelling daily. So instead, I just engage a kiddo in whatever needs done at the moment. Then I work right along beside the kiddo. This way I get the chores done, get a little chit chat time, and maybe get a hug. It works well in our small family. By the way, it works wiht my DH too. (wink) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandylubug Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 my 9 year old is responsible for their bathroom (washing counter/sink, windex mirror, scrubbing toilet, empty the trash, get up any laundry and sweep, close the shower curtain. he also does his room chores and laundry, etc. my 10 year old is responsible for vacuuming the living room and sweeping the dining room. It is more area to be covered but it isn't as time consuming as the bathroom chores of the 9 year old. He is also in charge of his room chores and laundry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Let's see.... Random chores that I tell them to do when it needs to be done. This varies daily. Take out trash Wash and put away dishes Wipe kitchen counters daily Wipe table after meals Set and clear table for meals Feed animals Water garden On the weekend: They do their laundry Clean their bathroom and the half bath (including mopping) Sometimes vacuum but I usually do that Clean rat cage They also make breakfast and lunch several times a week. My oldest is also starting to help cook dinner although he loves to bake instead. Fine with me. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loowit Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 My 11 & 9 years old are responsible for laundry (sorting, washing, drying, & carrying to the couch to be folded, then put away), dishes and kitchen counters, taking out the trash, keeping their rooms picked up, cleaning the fish tank & helping with cooking as needed. They alternate weeks of laundry and dishes so they don't have the same task every week. They do not earn awards for regular chores as we see it as part of being a family. They can earn extra points towards something fun they want to do or sometimes a little money for doing extra chores. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2squared Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 The whole chore thing just seems like a lost cause in my case. I envision lists, disgruntled kiddos, passive aggressiveness, and me yelling daily. So instead, I just engage a kiddo in whatever needs done at the moment. Then I work right along beside the kiddo. This way I get the chores done, get a little chit chat time, and maybe get a hug. It works well in our small family. By the way, it works wiht my DH too. (wink) :iagree: My kids don't have set chores as much as chore time. Every morning and afternoon we have chore time. Some kids do the same thing almost every time, but others do completely random chores that I assign. I also reserve the right to have them help whenever I see a need. I think this system works b/c we are all working at the same time. Also, chore time is often followed by a treat like screen time or read alouds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I.Dup. Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 My almost 11 year old: Folds the laundry and puts it away (about 1 load/day) Vacuums the kitchen floor Clears off the kitchen counters, kitchen table My almost 8 year old: Feeds and waters the dog Straightens up the front room Unloads the dishwasher in the morning, puts morning dishes away I just started them on chores about 5 months ago. It's been working really well. They have chore charts and I just started them on a gem system (this includes their chores as well as in general good behavior) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 My 9 and 11 year olds: *make most of their own breakfasts and lunches (mostly stuff like cereal and nachos, but they can also do mac and cheese on the stove, bake a potato, etc) *empty dishwasher *wash, dry, fold, and put away own laundry (11 year old independently, 9 year old with minimal help) *clean kitchen after dinner with help *clean rooms *vacuum their rooms plus all public areas upstairs *clean their bathroom *11 year old mowed the lawn until we got a bigger yard and a riding mower. It will be awhile before we let him do that *clean windows sometimes, mostly when I'm giving them extra chores for being obnoxious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyfordlr Posted October 30, 2012 Author Share Posted October 30, 2012 Again, thanks! I wish I could do more things *with* them but I just don't have enough hours in the day. Neither is independent school-wise, so I need them to be independent chore-wise. I also work about 30hrs/wk outside the home. Dh works about 60 hrs/wk, from home on the days I'm out of the house. He's pretty useless to be honest. That's also part of the problem, a big part actually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyeska Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 My kids are 8 (ds) and 13 (dd). They get paid $1 a day each if they do every single chore. If they miss even one, they don't get their dollar. They have a chore list on a white board and mark them off as they go...we use the honor system although sometimes I do a quick check for things they don't like to do thoroughly. Daily my ds takes out the trash, helps dd empty the dishwasher, feeds the dog twice, wipes down the bathroom counter and toilet, does a livingroom pickup in the evenings, picks up his room (must be vacuum ready every single day), makes his bed, and does personal care (teeth, shower etc.). Daily my dd helps empty the dishwasher, either sweeps the tile OR dusts the livingroom depending on the day, picks up the livingroom, helps me put away school stuff, helps me take care of the chickens (but usually does this on her own), cleans bedroom, makes bed, and personal care. Dd also does odds and ends as I ask...that is why her list is shorter. She helps me in the kitchen and things like that. They also are both completely responsible for their own laundry-washing, drying, putting away. My husband does his own as well, I do my own and the household towels and sheets. This makes it so much easier to manage the laundry! Everyone's goes from their room, gets washed and dried, then straight back to their room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyNellen Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 11/12 yo: Does own laundry Makes bed Walks dogs (with big bro) Vacuums stairs (with hand-held vac) Collects & replaces towels Cleans mirrors Dusts Cleans room Cleans toilets Empties wastebaskets 9yo: Makes bed Cleans room Feeds dogs Wipes down sink/counter daily Sweeps Vacuums Washes floors (with Swiffer mop) Dusts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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