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Do your children do chores?

I have SS 8, SS 7, DS 4. I feel it's time to get them involved with cleaning but I"m not sure how strict I should be when it comes to chores. What rewards should I offer? What chores should I allow that the older ones won't find unfair because the 4 year old isn't old enough to do theirs?

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newmommy87

Asked by newmommy87 at 4:14 PM on Feb. 15, 2012 in School-Age Kids (5-8)

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Answers (14)
  • I had my 4yr old tidying up her room first with me & then herself as much as she could. She is 5 now & I have her make her bed and when the floor starts getting messy she has to pick it all up & put stuff away. I keep on her before it gets so bad it will take an hour for me to do it!!! I had to when I was young so will my children its good for them & to start young.
    sarasmommy777

    Answer by sarasmommy777 at 4:16 PM on Feb. 15, 2012

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  • oh ya she doesn't get anything special for doing it....she gets treated very well, thats enough.
    sarasmommy777

    Answer by sarasmommy777 at 4:17 PM on Feb. 15, 2012

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  • My 6 yr old keep his room clean and bathroom clean. He "SUPPOSE" to clean his room before going to bed every night. His bathroom is rarely dirty because he is the only one the use it. He does not get money for doing chores. He is rewarded for other things such as making good grades.
    suzzanna

    Answer by suzzanna at 4:30 PM on Feb. 15, 2012

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  • London is 13 and she has to collect the trash from all the rooms the night before trash collection day and take it out to the driveway. On Tuesdays and Thursdays she makes dinner. I'm doing my best in trying to teach her to cook and there are good days and there are days when her little sister says "what's this SUPPOSE to be?". She also has to pick that said little sister up from the bus stop everyday after school, but I don't know if that qualifies as a chore. lol She gets paid 20bucks every two weeks - in other words when I get paid so does she.

    Lizzybeth is 6 and so her chores are to bring in the trash cans from the bottom of the driveway to the top of the driveway on trash collection day and to bring in the mail. She also has the job of making sure all the lights are turned off in any room where on one is in. She gets paid 6 dollars every two weeks.
    Ladybugkisses76

    Answer by Ladybugkisses76 at 4:40 PM on Feb. 15, 2012

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  • No official chores for my child, turning 8 next month.
    She is learning tasks/skills & she contributes.
    When issues come up (like a mess, or can't find her shoes/boots when needed, or things just dropped when she gets home) I point out what's problematic about it for me & we find a solution. Usually the logical solution--clean up after yourself, tidy your stuff, have a place for things & put them there, hang your coat--but instead of me giving orders or making demands, I communicate my issue & it's about problem solving.
    So...she has some things that she regularly takes care of, like her lunch pail after school, her room. But thinking of it as a "chore" that I keep track of or enforce feels foreign because that's not the dynamic at all.
    Otherwise, I ask for her help as needed. She does things like grate cheese or snap beans for me, fold clean towels & washcloths, set the table, grease pans for baking.
    Her allowance is separate.
    girlwithC

    Answer by girlwithC at 5:05 PM on Feb. 15, 2012

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  • My children are 6.5 and 4.5 and have been doing chores since they were 3. They start out having to set the table and I have since added cleaning their rooms each night and also clearing their plates and feeding the cat and dog. They do not get rewarded for these chores as everyone in our house has to work in order for our house to be clean and tidy. They do however earn money for doing extra things like dusting and helping vacuum.
    aeneva

    Answer by aeneva at 5:48 PM on Feb. 15, 2012

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  • DSS (5) - puts away the silverwear, puts his own laundry away, feeds the cats and gives them fresh water, picks up his toys.

    DD (2) - helps me put the silverwear on the table, helps me water the plants, helps me pick up her toys.
    other_mother

    Answer by other_mother at 7:02 PM on Feb. 15, 2012

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  • Yes, to feed his Betta and make sure the cats have water & food and to keep his play areas tidy.
    liss05

    Answer by liss05 at 9:59 PM on Feb. 15, 2012

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  • Yes. They started chores when they were 4, 5, and 8 (that's when I separated from my ex - he didn't allow me to give them chores). They had to clean their own rooms, put their own clothes away (I folded them and put them on the stairs, vacuum and dust their own rooms, set the table one night/week, sweep after supper one night/week - wasn't perfect but it was done, and take out the trash.
    Now at 10, 12, and 14 they do laundry and fold, vacuum their room and one additional room, clean their own bathrooms (except the tubs, I still do that), and one additional chore/week. They each get $4 for doing it without complaining, chores are non negotiable and have to be done, but the allowance is tied to their behavior while doing it - $2 to put in their credit union savings account and $2 for themselves.
    missanc

    Answer by missanc at 9:01 AM on Feb. 16, 2012

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  • not really. he's expected to keep his room cleaned and cleared, bedroom and playrooms, but i don't have him do anything else. he knows to put his towels up or in the laundry after use..same with dirty clothes-he puts them in the laundry.
    he also knows that if i put something on the stairwell (that leads up to his playroom), he's supposed to 'finish' the job.
    dullscissors

    Answer by dullscissors at 4:20 PM on Feb. 15, 2012

    Credits: 263202 Level 47 1 star1 star School-Age Kids (5-8) Minor
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