Children's chores

I do not make my children do chores ALL the time but when I do they last a week long for them. I shoudl probably have this be a regular routine. I know it would help.

These are typical chores I would have them do when I give them a chore. I just print them out off the computer, cut them into stripe and they pull one. I will let them trade if they want to with each other. For the rest of the week they are to work on keeping those areas neat. BTW they do not do them alone. I travel with them from child to child helping them out. And work on the counters, doing dishes, and washing the toilet.

BATH ROOM - clean the sink, clear off and clean
the back/top of the toilet (not the bowl or the seat),
and the tub edge, clear up floor, sweep and wash
the floor with the swiffer, put all tub toys in basket.

LONG HALLWAY - clear the floor of toys. pick up all
dirty laundry off floor and get it into the laundry
baskets, sweep and wash the floor with the swiffer,
Start a load of laundry and fold 15 things from drier.

PLAY ROOM - clear the floor and couches of ALL toys,
sweep and wash the floor with the swiffer, bring all
dishes and cups to sink, bring cans and bottles and put
in recycle.

KITCHEN - clear up the floor under the table of toys and
in the cooking area, sweep and wash the floor with the
swiffer, put all toys in play room toy box. Put cups and
kid plates away from dishwasher

Living room - clear sweep and wash the floor and wood
stairs with the swiffer, bring ALL dishes and cups to sink,
put cans and bottles in recycle put toys in playroom toy
box, neaten the couches.

It scares me to share this because it shows how messy my house can actually get when you read we need to clean toys, dishes, water bottles and cups out from EVERY room in my house when we do chores.

We did do these chores on Sunday so we are in the middle of a getting things somewhat acceptable currently.

 

My kids have things that they are responsible for all the time, but they are fairly minor & not too time consuming.

1. They must make their beds in the morning & keep their rooms relatively tidy (I don't stress about this too much, as long as things aren't completely disastrous, I just close their door).

2. They empty the dishwasher & take out the garbage.

3. We work as a family to clear the table & clean the kitchen after dinner. No one is excused to do something else until the kitchen is completely done. I feel like since I cook dinner, I shouldn't have to do all the cleaning after as well.

4. They bring their laundry down to the laundry room when they want it washed, I wash, dry, fold it & they take it back up and put it away.

Other than that, they are just expected to clean up after themselves. If they make a mess, they tidy it up when they are finished. They are very busy kids with activities outside of school. Between dance, volleyball, hockey, lacrosse, etc, plus homework & socializing, I don't want to give them too much else to do.

 

Ours have extensive chores that they must do every week. They also earn allowance for doing chores, because we want to teach that work=money. Don't work, don't have money.

Everyday - homework, because school is their primary job
Make bed.
Put dirty clothes in laundry basket (a really difficult chore for 7 year olds)
Feed, give water to cats
Put away toys
Put used dishes in kitchen to be cleaned. We'll evolve to them loading their things into the dishwasher.

Weekly (usually on Saturday)-
Clean their bathroom. Toilet, sink, floor. I help them with the tub.
Put away folded clothes (which is usually a few times a week)
Pick up stray toys around the house that got missed during the week.
Deeper clean of their bedroom than they manage during the week.

They can earn OT by doing some extra things to help us.
Clean the 1/2 guest bath. $1
Vacuum the cushions of the couch (remove crumbs from their snacks and cat hair) $1

I have a rule that if I find a Wii controller or other game on the floor where it could be stepped on and broken, the toy goes in time out for 24 hours. They have lost the controllers exactly 2 times. Now I don't even have to remind them. I may start doing the same for other toys or favorites clothes. It worked like a charm on the Wii stuff.

 

My kids are just turning 3, so we are working mostly on learning to pick up after themselves: take off coat and put away, take off shoes and put away, put clothes in the hamper, put toys away.

 

It sounds like our chores are similar to yours, except my kids do them every day. The kids are divided into 2 teams of 3 people each, one older, one middle, one young). They are each assigned a group of rooms for the week. The rooms are split:

group A= bathroom 1, living room, school room

group B= bathroom 2, dining room, yard

Kitchen always stays with me but I reserve the right to ask for help from anyone at any time.

They trade off room groups each week but during their week they are responsible for making sure that their group stays clean (bathrooms are cleaned on Sat. morning). In each room I have a How to Clean This Room sheet laminated in an inconspicious spot (behind door, in bathroom cabinet, etc) That sheet tells them exactly what to do as a checklist, much like your tear off sheets. They can just go down the list and make sure they've done everything on it, marking them off with a dry erase marker if they need to. I made these sheets for their bedroom also and they have helped a TON! No more coming to ask me constantly if a room is done. There are lots of steps on each sheet (10-15) but I broke them down very simply so that it wouldn't be so overwhelming.

They all fold and put away their own laundry and 12yo and 18yo also wash their own laundry.

It took a while to stumble upon doing this way, but it works really well for us.

 

This is brilliant! I may have to steal this idea for myself and DH right now, but eventually for my girls to help too.

My girls have 'chores.' They have to keep their room tidy (stuffed animals, sheets, blankets, pillows on the bed, and laundry in the basket), they help set the table for dinner, they pick up their toys before bath time each night, and they help me put away laundry. Oh and they help daddy vacuum the dining room after breakfast each day. They switch off each day and they fight over who get to vacuum

 

We just started chores with my 3. We created a chore chart and these are the things that are listed on the chart at the moment. We do ask that they help pick up and put stuff away in our basement. But, I recently worked really hard on getting their rooms organized so I make sure they put stuff away in there every night and that is on their chore chart. Other things are:

feed dog
let dog out
feed cat
pick up room
set table
clear dishes to the sink
remove trash bags from bathroom trash cans on trash night and replace with new bags
take recycling out

 

:bow2: So smart!!! I'm definitely going to steal this when they get older! :good:

Right now their "chores" are to clean up their rooms, clean up their toy room, pick up any toys from around the house (though they're good at not bringing them all over ) putting dishes in the sink and dirty clothes in the hamper. They do fix their beds but I go in afterwards and refix it. :blush:

 

I love that laminated sheet idea. I am going to create some check lists for my older son for his chores and for how to keep the bathroom/other rooms presentable.

I also love this because I am tired of stepping on things at night.

My six year old has to keep his room clean, put his dirty clothes in the basket, do his laundry, and put his clothes away. He also helps set the table or straighten up toys when I ask. Right now, his chore list is pretty small but we add on extra jobs each year.

 

These are the things my girls have to do regularly

Make their own bed...they are getting really good at this
Put toys away and clean room
Hang up coats and put shoes in closet when we arrive home
Put clothes in hamper
clean up their spot after eating and put dishes in sink
clean up sink after washing hands/brushing teeth

This summer I think I am going to have them start washing dishes in the sink..just little things...but I think one could wash while the other rinses and puts dish in drain..

 

I wish I could take credit, but I got it from a blog! I looked at my links to see if I could find it again, but I couldn't.

The bedroom one is something like this:

• Bring a garbage bag and two baskets to bedroom
• Strip bed and put sheets in laundry
• Place everything on clean beds (check under beds, on sills, and in closet)
• Sort items on beds into three groups:
• Things that stay in room (put them away)
• Garbage (put in bag)
• Things that belong in another room (put in basket)
• Check dresser drawers and closet for tidiness
• Replace shelf and dresser items
• Vacuum floor
• Replace sheets on beds when ready

 

Your six year old has to do his own laundry?

 

Mine have the same chores--- except the bed (they have a tangled mess of multiple blankets and no real sheet to 'make'.

They also help with dinner (set table/fill bowls with cold foods/get out condiments) a few nights a week and help me empty the dishwasher (pass me plates so I can put in cupboard).

The only thing they dislike is cleaning up toys. The rest they do willingly

We will add allowance soon- we are still deciding how best to approach allowance/chores/extra chores or mandated etc.

 

Yes, we started that this year. He loads in the laundry machine (front loader) then we help him with the soap/softner and he moves it to the dryer when it is done. He then has to sort it and put it away. He is very mature so does it. Also, I won't penalize him if he doesn't and there are times when I am hunting for filler clothes when I will grab his and put them in with the rest. It's more to get him to help out with the pile of clothing we accumulate.

 

Just chiming in to say that my kids started doing their own laundry at about 7. They don't now because I do it during the day but they can . . .

 

I think mine have known how to do laundry since about age 6 or 7. We did not have it as a chore at that time but they were able to help out and do it for fun and yes they did and kind of still do consider some chores fun.

 

Laundry...LOL! Growing up, I NEVER did laundry. The first time I EVER did laundry-I kid you not-was when I was....21...when I moved in with dh. I went away to school at 18, but came home on the weekends, and my dad did my laundry. :unknw: Of course, I had NO clue how to do laundry when I first did it. And my dad always did the laundry growing up. Still does actually.

I remember the chores we had growing up....UGH! I HATED them. I felt like it was the reason my parents had kids. LOL! We were home alone during the summer while my parents worked, and we always had a hugeeee list of stuff to do:

1.) Make beds
2.) Make OUR beds(as in-mom and dad)
3.) Clean out refrigerator(UGH)
4.) Sweep floors
5.) Vacuum
6.) Clean bathrooms
7.) Dust
8.) Fold laundry and put away

The one thing we didn't have to do was the actual laundry. LOL! My boys are now three. We are working on taking our shoes off and putting them in the basket(Annabella too), and taking our jackets off and not throwing them on the floor. They LOVE to help set the table-when I remember. One of these days I'll work on the toys... :wacko:

 

I was just curious. My brother and I did our own laundry growing up, actually we did all the laundry (not sure what age this started, but at least from 7-8). No one I've known really had to do their own laundry from before teenage years. My girls are 5 1/2, and I just can't picture them doing their own laundry in like 6 months - carrying the basket down the stairs, sorting it, selecting the right wash cycle, treating stains... I guess your son is way more mature than mine are. Oh, they do sometimes help me put it away, but I tend to do it when they aren't home now that they are in school.

To the topic of children's chores in general - I think I've been lax in assigning chores because I did do so much growing up. It felt like my brother and I did everything, and I hated it. It was like the entire keeping of the house was on us. So far, mine don't really have many chores besides picking up their room, the playroom, and putting toys that drift into other areas of the house back where they belong. There's little stuff like putting the clothes in the hamper, cleaning up messes they made, but nothing that's not really their own stuff.

 

Our washing machine has a programmable cycle. We set it just for him so he knows which cycle to use. When the babies were born, I programmed it just for baby clothing so DH didn't have to fool with the settings. The knobs are on front so DS just has to move one of them to the right cycle (last one on the left). We don't require sorting as even his underwear is colored so nothing is washed on hot. As for pre-treat, if his clothes are that dirty, DH and I usually pre-treat them when he takes them off and throw them in with the babies clothing or ours. We are also very lucky that the laundry machine is across the hall from his room so there is no carrying the basket downstairs. This isn't a situation where he has to do it and get it done on his own, like cleaning his room. Dh and I are overseeing this process until he is able to do it on his own. I figure it will be a few years before that happens.

He asked me last night after dinner if he could clean the kitchen. He is interested in helping out around the house so I am taking advantage of it. I know this is a short lived period so I am hoping to get things ingrained and not optional before he starts realizing housework and chores are "lame".

 

IKWYM, I remember when I used to ask my mom if I could vacuum because it was "fun"!

I was thinking right after I wrote my post, and picturing the girls do the laundry, and it made me cringe. I don't even like DH to do the laundry! :lol: I'm weird about it, I like to do it a certain way. It's really the only housework thing that I feel like must be done "right". I couldn't handle underwear being in with the rest of the clothes...

 

right now mine put their own laundry away (I wash, dry and fold)...we have a top loading machine so they can't reach yet to get it in the washer, but if I'm switching to the dryer, I can drop it on the dryer door (the door is a flip down door) and then they push it in, and throw in the dryer sheet...they also take their dishes to the sink (and have been doing that for a while) and will put away the silverware from the dishwasher...

I can also get them to feed the cats, and I'm going to teach them how to make their beds this week I think...

 

We don't have stairs, we don't sort or use any cycles but the cold/cold, and we don't treat stains generally, so that helps alot, lol.

My husband grew up with alot of chores also. It took him a long time to be okay with the kids doing chores. Probably if we didn't have so many (cause many hands make light work, etc) he would want them to do less still.

 

My twins, the 6 yo girls, wanted to clean the toilets last night. They did a good job and thought it was a blast!

 

You only wash stuff in cold? I'm going to go have a panic attack!

 

Yep, lol. about once a month I will take the sock basket (we keep all socks in a basket in the shoe closet) and all the towels and bleach them in hot water, but that's it!

 

Kel - I pretty much wash everything in cold also unless its towels or sheets...

 

You guys are freaking me out! :wacko: I wash underwear, sheets, towels, socks, all in hot. I wash most clothes in warm, except for things that say to wash in cold.

 

Ohhh ... me too ... I don't think I would feel "right" if I washed them ALL in cold ! I'm not even sure if I have even ever used the cold setting.

 

We have a tap cold setting and I use it. I was all of the clothing in cold. Linens/towels are done on hot. I also use non-chlorine bleach in every wash along with oxyclean. I am sure I am doing something wrong but the clothes come out clean so I am happy.

 

I'm not sure I've ever even read a care label, lol!

Our clothes get clean and we don't have problems with stains, so I figure it's working!!!

 

I'm amazed at the chores my kids find fun.

putting things in the recycling (kept in the garage)
bring the recycling bin & trash cans back to the house from the curb on trash day
getting the paper off the porch
getting the mail
doing their own laundry (with assistance)
pushing the buttons on the coffee maker for Mommy's coffee (it makes a great noise lol)
we actually have a rotating schedule for the "honor" of doing these things :lol:


other chores:
bringing everything of theirs in from the van each time we get home (this has been a real problem in the past)
taking shoes and coats off in mud room & putting away as they come in
cleaning off dining room table for dinner (dining room doubles as their art area)
help set table
emptying plate in to trash & putting dishes in sink (we've lost spoons & forks this way - watch out)
dirty clothes in their laundry basket
keeping own bedroom picked up
putting toys away during the day - needs major work!
we do set a 5 min timer before bedtime & clean up with them, this pretty much takes care of toy clutter

If they have had a particularly messy day & haven't tried to clean up I put any toys left out in timeout for the next day