chores...update cause i asked the kids

[weaveress]

quick background: I am six months pregnant and have been ill with gallbladder issues along with regular pregnancy aches in pains. my dad has been coming over every two or three weeks to help me by mopping, etc. the things i cant really do well right now. well i was folding clothes and putting them in seperate baskets for my kids to put away. the kids are 8 1/2 and almost 6. my dad thought it was horrible that i wouldnt put their clothes away for them or hang up their clothes for them. i explained to him that they had daily and weekly chores that they do. i showed him the list of their chores on our message board. he said that half of them were unreasonable and that i shouldnt expect my children to do this. now i didnt start them with chores until they were three and then each year i have added a chore. although the kids prefer to do them together so they both basically do all the chores. and my dad never had me do any chores when i was with him and he didnt "raise" any of us kids. my mom and dad seperated when i was three. so here is the list of my kids chores. we made the list together and i add a new one right after their birthday every year. is this unreasonable for a 6 and 8 yr olds????? how do i explain to my dad that this is how it is?

1. Put can goods away.(this is once a week after my shopping trip)

2. put snacks in kids' cabinet.(again once a week after my shopping trip)

3. organize snack cabinet(this is usually once a month, it gets were they cant find anything)

4. clean out cars (they are only doing the backseat, where they ride and then i vacuum it)

5. collect clothes for laundry day(once a week)

6. put clothes away(once a week)

7, put shoes on racks(once a week)

8. put mittens and hats away(once a week, during fall, winter)

9. pick up media, toy, and bedrooms(nightly, they have a 30 min set time)

10. put stuffed animals away(nightly, ")

11. get kids stuff out of other rooms(nightly, ")

I haven't decided what I am adding for this year. are there any suggestions there? i dont think any of these are unreasonable. i was doing my own laundry by the time i was there age at my moms house. so i asked our daughter shes oldest and her brother kindof helps usually waht she wanted me to add this year. she wants to add vaccuuming and sweeping. i thought heck if shes going to do that i should teach her how to mop too. so i guess dishwasher training and laundry folding will have to wait tell next year. what an over achiever. lol.

[famedcheeze]

 I don't think that is to much and usully they need to have chores.

My son 4 and my daughter 2 cleans there room every night and the living room of toys and i am teaching my son how to do dishes right now but he won't get the point for a few more years. but yeah i would keep it up :) your doing a good job

 

[weaveress]

Quoting famedcheeze:

 I don't think that is to much and usully they need to have chores.

My son 4 and my daughter 2 cleans there room every night and the living room of toys and i am teaching my son how to do dishes right now but he won't get the point for a few more years. but yeah i would keep it up :) your doing a good job

 

i taught them how to do dishes, then we got a dishwasher. so i guess i could teach them how to load and run the dishwasher. they've also been watching me do laundry since they were tiny. they use to help me throw the loads in the washer. but i am anal about my laundry and want it done a certain way. which is why i still havent taught them to fold their clothes yet. i have to work up to it. lol.

[goldenraysofsun]

I started making my kids help clean up their own toys once they were about a year old. I helped of course, but, I wanted to get them used to the idea of them helping out. By the time they were 3yrs old, they were helping me around the house when I did chores. They enjoyed it.

My kids are now 13, 7, and 5 and they allhelp me do chores every single day. I homeschool my kids, work a job and try to juggle everyday life. My kids all get up, eat breakfast, exercise, do chores, have bible study and then start school. My kids help do all chores and get paid an allowance for doing so. 

I believe helping in the house doesn't deserve an allowance, but my kids do a bit more than most kids would. Plus, I like the idea of teaching money skills, and getting rid of the "give me's" at the store, so we recently started the allowance thing. I don't want my kids accustomed to just getting what they want. I want them to associate it with having to of earned what they got.

I do not think that there is anything unreasonable with having a child learn how to do things for themselves, to teach them to help out in the household, to teach them responsibility, etc. Besides, you are pregnant, they should help out a little bit.

Most of what you mentioned is based on things that are considered taking care of themselves and their own belongings. Very little (if anything) was outside of that. My kids do WAY more than that. Mine help sort laundry, help put the clothes in the washer and dryer, fold them, hang them up, put them away. They help do dishes, clear the table, wash the table, sweep, mop, make dinner, etc. They help dust, vacuum, clean windows, strip beds, make beds, clean their messes up, sweep the back porch, wash the car, clean out the car, etc. Anything that needs done, my kids learn how to do it and then help us out.

My oldest has learned how to do most chores and takes one of the younger kids to help her. I take the other one to help me. We divide the chores up between us and get to work on them. Everyone helps and everyone learns how to do everything. My oldest child who is soon turning 14 (in 2 mths), will soon be learning how to oil change a car, change a tire, etc. (so that she will be able to do it on her own car).  

We divided chores and laundry up by the days of the week. We spend about 30-45mins a day on them. Monday is Living Room and Whites, Tuesday is Bedrooms and sheets, Wednesdays are Bathrooms and Towels, Thursdays are the kitchen and the colors. Friday is the farm, market day, errands, and the library. Saturdays is yard work and field trips. Sundays is family day (we relax). 

Chores like at dinner time, are divided up and rotated each week. Everyone helps.

I want to raise children who have a good work ethic, are reliable, and know how to take care of themselves.     

 

[LovinSweetsMama]

My boys are 4 and 6 and they both do chores. They both seem to enjoy it. And they ar ealways asking for more stuff to help with.  I also think giving them chores now will help them when they are older. So that way its not a big surprise that mommy or daddy won't always be there to pick up after me.

Your list sounds very reasonable.

[famedcheeze]

Thats awsome i would add a little more though :) as time goes on mine will learn more for sure 

[hholllyy426]

I don't think they're unreasonable at all. Good Job Momma in making them help. You could add vacuuming or sweeping to the list. One thing my son has to do is vacuum the stairs, it hurts my back. I bought him one of those small cordless ones and he uses it to vacuum his room too. Another would be helping with dishes, my son helps dry them. He'll be 8 in January. He also has to clean up his toys and things in the living room and his room. He puts away video games and movies. He also puts away his clothes. He'll also help me with general cleaning and help with taking out the trash. He has to help with the trash cuz he can't reach the lid on the dumpster.

[hholllyy426]

Just read your update, that is awesome that she is very willing to help and take on more responsibilities. Way to go.

[MamaLori]

My kids do a lot more than that. My kids are 17, 10 and 7, they each have a chore chart and each get paid an allowence for each thing that they complete weekly. My oldest had his chores cut some this year because he is working now (plus school and playing sports) so there isn't as much time at home for him. He still has to do the basics like making his bed, sorting his laundry and picking up his room though. Here is the list for my younger two-

daily chores are -make their bed-put all laundry in sorting baskets(our baskets are color coded white for whites/dark blue for darks ect.-feed bunnies and horses-load dishwasher after dinner-take out the garbage-pick up rooms before bed.

weekly chores are- sweeping the kitchen and hallways -dusting living room and their bedrooms-cleaning their bathroom-vacuum under the furniture cushions-cleaning the stalls in the barn.

We add things in during certain season (like mowing in the summer and raking in the fall) I don't feel that this is too much to ask of any kid and most of the chores they chose themselves. I give them options to choose from (apart from the basics of their room) and they can pick from there. My 17 year old is the only boy I know his age that can do his own laundry start to finish (and do it the right way!) ,cook his own meals if needed and isn't afraid to scrub a toilet. His future wife will thank me some day for that : )