chores for afterschoolers

[michaeljenn]

Hi,

 

I am wondering what type of chores you have your afterschoolers do. Of course when we were homeschooling they had loads more chores than they do attending school, but I slashed the chores once they were in school all day. I am finding, though that after my littles go down that I am getting soooooooooooooooooooooo caught up on EVERYTHING that I am doing their chores for them:lol: I just have time to do them, and I want them to come home to a clean, relaxed, loving enviroment. So, when they come home they usually want to get their chores out of the way and have noticed that they are already done... and have been overly thankful and are asking if they can do any other chores/jobs to be helpful. Usually there is honestly not much left for them to do except keep their room clean(oops, which I have been known to dust and sweep... but their beds are always made already). I guess I am wondering if I am doing my children a disservice for doing their chores??? I am finding that they are spending more time getting on the floor with their little bro and sis since they have more down time after school, so I am thinking that if time permits I will continue to do what chores I can for them.... so why am I feeling like I am failing them?? They all have one night where they cook with me, and then help clean up... as I want them to know how to do more then use the micro and boil water!! Is this enough? They have a pretty tough load of homework, so I hate to bog them down with housework!!! I mean, I don't expect my hubby to come home from working all day to do chores either!!! What do you think?

 

Jen

[katemary63]

Well, I'll tell you one thing. My son has a girlfriend who grew up with a mom who did all the housework or had it done....she is 19 and has never cleaned a bathroom in her life and my son says she wouldn't know how if she had to. She also can't cook. ( we love her regardless!)

 

While we try to keep the house picked up during the week, the actual cleaning is done Sat. morning. We all take a room and we switch rooms each week. So one week a kid will have to clean the bathroom, the next week, the living room, the next week, the kitchen, etc. Everybody learns how to do everything. We have the cleaning done by noon on Sat. and have a clean house for the weekend and I don't feel like the maid. My husband helps too even though I try to stop him - I'm spoiled that way! I give any kid who wants to the choice to do thier assigned room on Fri afternoon if they want to sleep in Sat. morning. Every room has cleaning procedures printed out so even the 7 year old knows exactly what is expected of her - Dad often helps her with her assignment. This works great for our family.

[Guest wittygal]

I have my kids do their chores as part of Afterschooling. I think it fits in great since it is Life Skills. They don't have to many things to do just enough to give them some good cleaning habits and me some help. My oldest who is 9 wipes down the downstairs bathroom everday, picks up after the dog, cleans his room and makes his bed. My 6 year old takes out the kitchen garbage and recycle, feeds the dog, cleans his room and makes his bed. My 4 year old makes sure all of the shoes and toys are picked up down stairs, cleans her room and makes her bed. They get their chores done fairly quickly and mark them off on the chart in our Afterschooling room. We also do Saturday morning cleaning when time and life permits. I have never homeschooled but I do know that when the children are home during the summer they do take on more of the cleaning load. During the school year this little bit they can do helps me so much and I always remind them just how much they are helping me out.

 

http://adventuresinafterschooling.blogspot.com/

[Guest Kate]

I have 3 kids. Oldest son is almost 8 with AS. He does 1 load of laundty every day (completly from sorting to washing and folding) and he sweeps the kitchen floor and washe the table and counters after dinner. My daughter is almost 7. She does 1 load of dishes (rinse, load unload) and washes the appliances (it's stainless) after dinner. Youngest son 3, vaccumes the stairs (with a hand vac). They all have to have their floors picked up before they go to bed. On Saturdays the 3 rotate cleaning a bathroom (kids, master, powder). We (my dh or I) was the kitchen floor as well as any "other" household stuff. My kids also was the walls once a week for 15 minutes (because it's their sticky fingers that get smeared). We help them with their chores, but don't get too involved that we take over their chores. My oldest son was scrubbing the toilet at 4 years old (we first used it as a punishment for swearing, but he told us it was "fun" and it was a lost cause). I don't want my kids growing up thinking that the house cleans itself when they are at school. I don't have the time or energy to keep up with it my self (I've tried, but my body just gives out). Good luck on the chore thing :)

[Guest tooties3]

I think it's whatever works for your family, as everyone's priorities and routines are different. I have always been an advocate of teaching kids how to do chores and to give them some responsibility around the house. I also started my boys out early: around 4 or 5. When we homeschooled, it was easier. As they've gotten older, we've added some things. During the summer, they are responsible for more. My feelings are that I want all 3 of my kids to know how to keep a house tidy, cook basic meals, and handle money before they leave home.

 

In our house, the daily maintanance-type chores are done by my kids during the week. This includes vacuuming, wiping bathrooms, feeding the dog, collecting the garbage, bringing their laundry baskets down and putting it away on laundry days, helping pick up from dinner, and keeping their rooms and the media room (where they just "hang out") tidy. The vacuuming/bathrooms get done BEFORE we leave for school. Because I teach at their school, they ride with me. We're up at 6:00 and don't leave until about 7:15. They each do one thing. The rest is done at the end of the day. On weekends, they change their sheets, dust, and swiffer their rooms. My daughter does other little things: straightens the shoes, shreds papers in the office, wipes down lightswitches/doorknobs, cleans TV screens/glass, shakes out rugs and cushions in the kitchen so that I can mop, or whatever else we ask her to do. Hubby does whatever he can to help. Sometimes just having him around to supervise is enough.

 

If you feel that your kids should be doing chores, save them something for afterschool that will take them 10 minutes to do. Maybe on the weekends, you can have them do more. In any case, it's all what you feel is best for your family!

 

Good luck!

[Ria]

I use Motivated Moms, so I have a list of daily chores. If I'm working on that day, I'll assign each of the four boys a chore from the list for that day. If I'm home that day I'll do most of the chores myself. I do require that they keep their rooms clean and vacuumed...this means that I remind them a few times a week, lol.

 

Ria

[Makita]

KateMary ~ I love your approach! Thank you!

[Brilliant]

My kids attended school for 3 months a few years ago. They did very few chores; basically picking up after themselves and helping with meal cleanup. Honestly, I was home alone all day - why would I have saved the chores for them to do later? Their job was to go to school, mine was to maintain the household.

 

Even though they are home full time now, lately I have been doing a few more things that I used to consider their "jobs." They have a pretty heavy academic load, especially the high schooler. My job as their teacher is time-consuming, too. But I realized this year that when they are working independently I could be folding laundry instead of answering e-mails. I usually make our lunches now instead of asking them for help - I'd rather have them spend the extra 15 minutes on assignments (although they are required to help with cleanup).

 

They still have household responsibilities so I don't think I am training them to be poor housekeepers later. It's just a matter of who has more time for household chores, and right now that's me. So I'm going to get off the computer now and go clean a toilet. :)

 

Edited to say that I think my views would be very different if I had young children at home. But when my kids went to school, I was literally home alone.

Edited January 21, 2009 by OC Mom
thought of something else

[michaeljenn]

I just wanted to thank everyone for the replies. At this point, they are all still making their beds and keeping their room dusted, vacuumed and organized. On Saturday, they have extra chores like cleaning/sweeping out the garage and cleaning out the car. They are help "clean up" before bed, as I CANNOT wake up to a mess in the morning. This is working for us. In the summer they will have more chores because they will have more time. Lord knows they know how to clean everything and anything since they have already been trained in past years. They also know how to cook. If I really needed them to whip up some Taco's or Spaghetti they could easily do it start to finish. So, I no longer feel guilty by not making them do a bunch of chores while they are in school. If I can do it for them, then I will.

 

Jen

[purplecow7]

My children have basic chores in the morning. Get up and get ready for school, make their beds, pick up their books (ie their room). They also have to practice their musical instruments and do any homework or studing that needs to be finished. One practices the violin and the rest take turns on the piano.

 

We all don't get home until 5:30. I work and they are at an afterschool program. We eat dinner and the children are responsible for picking up their own dishes and putting them in the kitchen. Then the juggle of activities begin. There is soccer, Tae kwon Do and private music lessons and homework. There is usually not enough time for the children to do chores during the week. On the weekends we have religion class and soccer games. I do have directed house projects or chores. Like wasing walls the door knobs and light switches etc..

 

I guess I am guilty of not having my children do chores. They do like to watch the roomba vacuum the upstairs and do untangle it when needed. LOL.

[MelissaM]

I consider school, athletics, and church my dc's job. Each is responsible for his/her own bed (making daily and weekly sheet change), emptying the dishwasher when needed, weekend kitchen clean up, and putting away his/her laundry if I don't have time. They also have to tidy up behind themselves. I don't mind doing the laundry and cleaning as long as I'm not treated like a slave.

 

DH works long hours with lots of travel and the kids have long hours with school and sports so I don't feel comfortable having them do work I can do during the day. That's why I stay at home- to be a homemaker.

 

My children will have more household responsibility during the summers.

[SherryTX]

 

While we try to keep the house picked up during the week, the actual cleaning is done Sat. morning. We all take a room and we switch rooms each week. So one week a kid will have to clean the bathroom, the next week, the living room, the next week, the kitchen, etc. Everybody learns how to do everything. We have the cleaning done by noon on Sat. and have a clean house for the weekend and I don't feel like the maid.

 

I love the idea of changing things up every week and switching the rooms!

I may try to implement that in my house - thanks for the suggestion!

 

One problem we have is that there isn't enough picking up during the week - so the weekends can become crazy trying to get it all done. =/

[Caroline]

I don't like the word chores. We all work together to keep our household running. My older boys clean the kitchen most nights, sometimes while I read to them. They are in charge of their own rooms, but I am not very picky about them. We all spend time on the weekends vacuuming, mopping, doing bathrooms, and other weekly stuff. We all work on the laundry as needed. I think of our family as a cooperative. We work together to get things done. Of course, my kids don't have a lot of homework because they go to schools with little waste time. Most of what they do at home is the over and above we require because we feel that education happens whenever and wherever.

[AuntPol]

My kids (homeschooler and afterschooler):

1) Each clean one litter box and feed/water pets (one does dog and the other the cats and chincillas). This is the must do, no if ands or buts chore. I think it is good for them to be responsible for another living creature.

 

2) Make bed and pick up on room (it doesn't have to be spit spot but livable and no fire hazards)

 

3) Pick up any mess they make when they are at home.

 

4) Put away their laundry that I have washed, dried, folded, and sorted.

 

5) Put their dishes in the sink after each meal and they alternate who helps me cook and who does the actual dishes.

 

6) Take the recycle bins/garbage can down to the street and bring back up once a week.

 

7) Help out on weekends with whatever needs to be done (dust, sweep, clean baths and mirrors).