Chores for kids

[jonesloonybin]

I am going to do up a chore chart for our family. They do things now but I have to constantly remind them. I have a 5.5 yr old and a 13 yr old. What type of chores do your kids do?? My other problem is I like things done a certain way. For Example..I have not let the oldest do laundry because I am afraid she will mess it up. We cannot afford to replace clothes that get messed up. But I am drowning with all this laundry and stuff. So one of our goals is a chore chart and I am going to take a few days to a week to go through each chore and show them how to do it. I am also thinking of doing up cards for each chore that lists what to do. (ex: Clean Bathroom card will list: clean toilets, wipe down counters, clean mirror, sweep, etc.)

 

Any help/advice will be appreciated.

 

Thanks

[Erica in OR]

When I was a kid, my mom made up cards similar to what you describe. It had each task listed for a particular big job. They were really helpful. When my kids have first been doing a chore, I've also found it helps to demonstrate it myself, talk about what produces an acceptable result, and then work with them and give feedback the first couple times. That said, I have relaxed my standards, or gone back over the bits that really bother me. My younger kids (8 and 7) empty the dishwasher, set the table for supper, wipe surfaces after supper, and sweep the main floors after supper. I'm working on having them do laundry as well. They usually fold their own clothes, and the main problem is teaching them all the buttons they need to fiddle with for the right settings on the front loader.

 

I do need to remind them pretty much every time though. We haven't tried a chore chart.

 

Erica in OR

[LaxMom]

I did a series of cards like that for our homeschool co-op, so everyone wasn't wandering around wondering what had been done and what needed to be.

 

Right now, since we just started Motivated Moms this week, I've been giving my 7 (almost 8) year old a chore or two on the daily checklist. So, she's been making her and the boys' beds. She cleaned the toilets yesterday (her favorite chore... no, really). She and the boys (4) rotate feeding the cat, and they are all responsible for bringing their own clothes to the laundry room after they change.

 

Your 13 year old is probably more than capable of doing laundry, just not without some education. Laundry is, after all, an experience-based knowledge. :001_smile: So, maybe you should have her sort, given specific criteria. Then, pick the pile that you prefer to be cleaned first and give the next instruction, like examining each garment for stains and treating them the way you prefer. When she's done, then it goes into the washer with instructions... It can seem like more work than doing it yourself, but you're really only sticking your head in periodically.

 

My 4 year olds were ECSTATIC to get their own little broom/dustpan combos from their Auntie for Christmas. I can set them to sweeping the kitchen in the afternoon... is it cleaning service thorough? No. But they'll do it again tomorrow, too, so...

[lynn]

tidy their own rooms(make bed, pick up, put a way, throw away, vaccuum dust)

bring laundry basket to the laundry room

bring sheets to laundry room

put away folded laundry

rotating cleaning the bathroom(wiping out the tub, toilet, counters and mirror)

rotating garbage weeks

help set/clear the table to dishes after dinner (rotating)

2 older sons (16 and 13) mow and edge the lawn (rotating)

sweep the front porch

help pick up, dust and vaccuum

If they need extra $$ they can wash cars, help dh with various house projects etc.

[hmschoolmom22]

I plan on putting chore charts on the back of my dd's bedroom doors - I'm hoping that way they see it as soon as they get up in the am and the last thing in the pm.

 

Chores that my kids do:

Make their beds

Keep room picked up tidy

Clean up the bathroom(they have their own)

Dump their trash cans out of their rooms

Put away their laundry

Fold laundry when asked

Empty dishwasher when asked

vacuum their rooms

 

My girls are 12 and 8 yrs old

Edited December 30, 2008 by hmschoolmom22

[Jennifer in NH]

My kids are 8, 6 and 2 1/2.

The 8 and 6 year old do their own laundry. This took a few months on my part (when they were 5 and 7) to teach them. But, it is a real blessing now! I remind them, idf I notice that they are running low on clean clothes.

 

all my kids (even the 2 year old). Clear their plates from the table, pick up their rooms, vacuum and sweep. Just try vacumming in my house! The 2 year old enjoys it as does the 6 year old! They would aslo all love to mop floors, but I haven't given up that control yet!;)

[dawn of ns]

Show your daughter how to do the laundry properly, explain what harm might be done and then take a deep breath and walk away. Really, what's the chance she could damage so much stuff that you'd face financial hardship from her actions? If there's particularily expensive or fragile clothing that a trip to a thrift store couldn't replace then simply keep it seperate and do it yourself.

 

What helps here:

 

Have a specific routine that chores are a part of. Here it's up, breakfast and cartoons, violin practice for the DD, chores, schoolwork. They know what comes next and where in the routine chores fall.

 

Post a list of what needs to be done where it's done. If laundry is a worry then post a list your daughter can refer to right by the washing machine (ie:sort, clean out pockets, etc.). My daughter is responsible for a bathroom and I have a list of what she needs to do each day of the week.

 

Do your chores at the same time and if possible, talk to each other and make it family time.

[Guest janainaz]

My ds 8 unloads the dishwasher, vacuums, folds and puts away laundry and takes care of the dog and cat. He also makes his bed (and I tidy it up when he's not looking), he dusts, cleans windows and sweeps.

 

He does not do ALL of that on daily basis. I usually pick two chores a day for him to do. He gets an allowance of 7.00 a week IF he does not get in trouble for any reason (for other stuff). He knows it's a nice thing we do to pay him for helping around the house (stuff he should do just as responsibility). Right now, it's working great. Knock-on-wood - he's not in his teens yet.

 

My ds4 - he helps with little things. I had a pile of laundry in my older son's room and I walked in and my ds 4 had folded all his own clothes and put his cute little underwear in a pile. He had folded all the hand towels and it was so sweet and cute!