How much does your kids help

[Nana2two]

Just curious to find out if all parents make or set strict chores for the kids. I have a 17 year old (going on 25) and a 13 and acts like her age.
They both have to have the bed made before leaving for school and the oldest takes the trash out and the youngest takes the laundry to the basement. This is everyday takes less then 5 minutes . During the week together they will clean up the kitchen 3 times after dinner. every other week they clean the bathrooms. I wipe them down daily.So on those days when its there turn for something i can work on decluttering a room,painting crafts, or just take a nap.Some people look at me and think im way to strict. I dont think i am.I know some that a chore was given to the children the child would just fall over and die..

[joyofsix]

I don't have a schedule but I do expect my kids to do whatever I ask them to. The oldest 3 (17,15,13) do their own laundry. 10yo dd takes care of dog. 7yo ds adm 5yo dd take care of the cat. Other things they do
take out trash and recycling
babysit
make dinner
do dishes
clean rooms/pick up
mop
vaccum
Mostly it's who I see when I feel like the job needs done. I hope it all works out fair in the end.

[DJ1972]

My kids do daily chores. DS12 unloads the dishwasher and takes out the trash daily. He also vacuums when I ask, and mows/weed-eats the yard with DH. DD14 helps with laundry every day, and she sweeps about 2-3 times a week. I have also been teaching them to cook, so they helps with supper and they both help clear the table every night.

Chores are good for kids, IMO. They are part of this family, so therefore they have to help. Also, I don't want them living with me forever, so they have to know how to do all of this stuff for themselves, lol.

[frugalwarrior]

I started too late w/ my kids and i paid them an allowance to try to teach them about money. I would never do it that way again. I wish i had made a chore chart and paid be job completed and - for those not. I have depression and my kids both have ADD/ADHD so the consistancy wasn,t good around here.
Currently my 16 and 18 both do their laundry and have for years
16 year old-Trash out and in,heavy lifting I cannot do,trimming trees, snow blowing.
18 years-dishes when I ask
I expect to have help when I ask. My 16 years old has to start an arguement and then he will.
I give them token amouts of money when I can as I cannot afford allowances these days. I'd like tehm both to have jobs but there are not any to be found and my daughter is having knee prob.

[Debbie-cat]

My son will be 19 next week. He helps with all the heavy work. He can cook and do dishes but I save his work for the things I cannot easily do myself or my things my hubby can't do. DS is 6'7" and built like a steam engine so he takes on alot of work outside. He keeps his own room neat but if it isn't perfect I don't nag him. He knows how to do it and will do it when he wants it done. I figured out all long time ago that if I didn't nag him to clean his room, he wanted it clean more often so he just did it. If I nagged him about it we would just end up in an argument and he would grudgingly do it now he does it because HE wants it done.

[Momto2Boyz]

I don't think your too strict at all. I wish my parents had been a little more structured about a chore system. I really think it would have helped me be more structured now that I run my own home!


My kids are still pretty young for major chores, but they do have age appropriate chores. They take turns setting the table, feed and water the dogs every night, and let them out.

I'm struggling with them with things like keeping their laundry together and getting it to the hamper and keeping their toys picked up...but we'll get there!

But, we also don't believe in allowances in exchange for chores either. Chores are something they need to do, simply to be a productive member of the family (like I said...they are not doing anything major) and an allowance is something they will get until they turn 16, then if they want money, they can earn it through a job. We base allowance on school work. They don't get paid for grades, but if my older one behaves and doesn't get in trouble at school, then he gets his allowance. If he misses homework, etc., then he doesn't get it. We figure for now, school should be their job, so it's a good way to work it!

[Neeley]

Our chores change periodcallty for the kids, but they always have things they are responsible for.

Currently their responsibilities are:

DS does all dishes
DD does all trash and recycle
They are both responsible for cutting the grass, edging and weed eating the yard then blowing the driveway and street clean.
They are both responsible for keeping the pool vaccumed and "swim" ready.
Each one has to keep his/her own room clean(not just picked up, but swept, dusted, etc...).
DS makes dinner almost every night.
DS feeds/waters the dogs.
DD feeds/waters the cats.
DD gives the big dog his bath.
When we do the routine cleaning of the house, they do whaever they are told to do. Normally that includes sweeping the floors, mopping, dusting, cleaning baseboards, wiping walls, cleaning windows, toilets, tubs, etc...
DH does 95% of the laundry, but they are responsible for putting their clothes in their dressers and/or hanging them in their closets.

They both started having chores by the time they could walk. It started out as simle things like putting their toys away and taking their clean clothes to their rooms when they were two. By the time they were 8 or 9 they were capable of cleaning the entire house, not that we ever had them do that. But, if they were told to do a chore they knew how to do it and did it.

We have always given them some form of an allowance and they are both good with money. Now, they both have jobs for their spending money so they don't get quite as much from us.

[monkeywrangler71]

My four year old works alongside me to help clean up, but not in a scheduled way. My three year old is just starting to help, but she's not as focussed as the four year old. My sixteen year old? I'd be impressed if she made it to school before noon, I'll not hold my breath waiting for her to do anything helpful.

[MoonMommy]

I have two kids who are 7 and 3. I don't have set chores for them. I just expect that when we "clean up the house" that they help to put their stuff away.

[elphie]

We have the philosophy that all share in the bounty so all must share in the responsibility. My kids are 8 and 10, they both do their own laundry (I help move the clothes from washer to dryer but that's it), empty 1/2 of the dishwasher daily, ds is responsible for taking out the trash and cleaning the toilet in their bathroom, dd is responsible for dusting and keeping the sink and mirror clean in their bathroom. We aren't big on bed making- I usually am straightening my own sheets and blankets as I crawl into bed.

We do insist that common areas (kitchen, living room, office) are kept clean and clutter free. Their rooms stay pretty clean just because we have a clutter free life- new things have a one in one out rule (you get a new toy, you donate an old one). This keeps their stuff from becoming overwhelming.

Anything extra I ask the kids to do they do without argument. I know some families who pay the kids extra for doing extra chores but our kids know our family budget, they know their allowance is allotted and that we don't have extra money to give them for extra chores without taking from another important part of the budget. But they also know that a family functions at its best when everyone is willing to pitch in and do their part so they don't mind.

[geckoace]

my ds is 5 he is responsible for cleaning up his toys after use, cleaning his dishes from the table, putting his clothes in the hamper (sorted) and i have recently had him helping me to put his clothes away. my dd is only 15 months so she is no help at all

[LastDragonfly]

My youngest kiddos help alot. My 12 y/o wanted to learn to do her laundry at the age of 8...so I taught her. I rarely do her laundry. She also chooses to do her younger sisters laundry.

She knows how to cook too and likes it. And if you cook, you have to clean up the mess you know.

My 7 y/o is learning. 2 years ago at Christmas she asked for a vacuum.bwhahah. So my parents bought her a pronto 2 in 1--it has a removable dust buster. We call it Haleighs red vacuum. It sure has been great for her to dust bust under the kitchen counters in between mopping; and she keeps the fireplace hearth free of the white ash that seems to settle.

They unload the dishwasher when I need them to do that. We don't do chore charts, they do things because we ask them to.

[Michelle]

My kids (almost 12 and 9 1/2) take care of Joey (cat)--feeding, watering, litterbox. They alternate those two chores on a monthly basis.

Then they set & clear the table. At least 3 nights/week I have them do the dishes.

Everything else I ask them to do is stuff that comes up. Basically they help when asked.

During the summer I give them a list of 8 items that need to be done that day, and I have them choose which they want to do. (they flip a coin to see who gets first choice, and then it alternates back and forth)

[Starlight9803]

my kids have some set chores (make up beds, clean rooms, putting clean laundry away, dusting and vacuuming their rooms, etc) but they also help me on other jobs on an as-needed basis. DS (5) will dust the house (I get what he can't reach), sweep the floors, dry dishes, set the table, and help with cooking and yard work. DD (10) will vacuum the house, wash dishes, feed/water animals, and also help with cooking and yard work.

[Nana2two]

Thanks everyone. It helps me to see other's ideas. My 17 and 13 year olds have never had a mother till i came along. My husband has been raising them since the youngest was 1. So you can imagine the stress and fustration i have had setting up chores and what not. The last 5 years has been teaching them to take care of them self.When dad was working 50 to 60 hours a week so the they had no role model or anyone that was working with them 24/7 sorry for the rant. I find it hard some times because my oldest is almost 24 and from a young age she always did her hair i mean really was a girly girl and when it came to doing things she was never told twice to do.