What age is the right age to start doing chores?

**cab54** · 06-29-2009, 10:52 AM

Mine tidied up their rooms at the earliest age (2?) and pulled up the covers on their bed to a 'made' position. Took out trash and helped clean by age 5. Cooked a little by age 10.....

By the time they went away to college, they could do dishes (duh), laundry, clean, cook, shop for groceries, cut grass, shovel snow, and run their own lives.

**pop goes the weasel** · 06-29-2009, 11:00 AM

If you listem to my sd she'll tell you whenever you're dead. My daughter always helped from the time she was able to toddle around. My 15 yr old sd on the other hand never had to do anything until she came to live with us so it's a constant battle. I say better early than late.they can do alot more than you thin kwhen they are younger

**elphie** · 06-29-2009, 11:27 AM

I wanted to add that my kids DO get an allowance and it is in jeopardy if they don't do their chores HOWEVER it isn't exactly directly linked such as "I'll pay you $1 to put laundry away." Instead they have an understanding that in a family everyone works together. That means we all share responsibilities and we all share in the bounty.

I have seen friends who have allowance directly linked to chores and their kids won't do anything without expecting to get paid. I have other friends whose kids think money comes from the allowance fairy and have no concept that you EARN money. I think the way we've done it has struck a nice balance by letting our kids understand that money is always linked to responsibility but responsibility isn't always linked to money.

**cab54** · 06-29-2009, 11:46 AM

One summer my oldest boy was rebelling against his chores a bit (not bad). I gave him his list to do (a piddly amount compared to what farm kids have) and he was doing his "I'll never get to go out and plaaaaayyy, I'll be doing this all day!" crap, and my usual "not if you get your butt in gear and DO IT and get it over with!" wasn't helping with the complaining.

He was giving me the old "my friends don't have to--blahblahblah." True enough. The other mothers in my neighborhood were woefully unskilled in 'skilling' their kids. But I was NOT going to have my kids enter the world expecting some 'mommy' character was going to do everything for them.

So I finally said to him---"FINE. You can do my chores and I'll do yours. How's that? If you think I'm giving you ALL of the work to do, let's switch."

So I went off to do his chores and gave him a list of what I had planned to do that day (he was big for 10, he could handle it). He started in on the two rooms I was planning to clean that day, did the dishes, washed a couple of loads of laundry, I was done in about an hour. He was still working when it was time to make supper. I said, "Well, you have to stop what you're doing, and make supper." He was like "Whaaaaaa?" I said--"well we gotta eat!"

I gave him somethingeasier than I was planning to make---hot dogs on the grill. He's cooking away and now he's REALLY complaining. I said "Do you think NOW that I am shoving all the work off onto you?" He said " Nooooooo! I said--"Fine---now go and find your brother and friends and go play."

He never said anything about chores again. Neither did his brother. I'm sure big bro let him know as to what all mom does in a summer day.

TSK! Kids!!

**dolphin** · 06-29-2009, 11:15 PM

At age 2 a child can understand the concept of putting toys back into a toybox. At age 3 a child can put toys away and even help Mommy in the kitchen. My 5 stepgrandchildren can have a whole room full of tossed toys picked up in 15 minutes, LOL.

**MomToTwoBoys** · 06-30-2009, 10:56 AM

I think it's suffice to say that Dakota is good to help me with chores every day. He gives me that whole 'But Mooooommmmm!' situation but I think that with a little trial and error, I can get him excited about helping keep the house clean.

I'll gradually phase stuff in because I don't want him feeling overwhelmed. Putting his clothes in the hamper, picking up his toys, putting his cereal bowl on the counter, etc seem like good things for him to do for now.

Thank you all so much for your replies! You've all shown me that he should have been doing this stuff earlier.