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Original poster

How much housework to give a 7year old?

20 replies

nappyfatigue · 19/07/2015 21:45

What household tasks do people generally give a 7 year old? Tidying, vacuuming, loading dishwasher, sorting own laundry, putting stuff in washing machine, loading bottom drawer in dishwasher..on a near daily basis.. or is that all a bit much? I did loads as a child ( well it seemed like loads). It's just that people I ask say they only get their kid to tidy their own bedroom. Just curious...

OP posts:

LashesandLipstick · 19/07/2015 21:46

I think that's a lot, but I didn't have to do anything so might be biased.

Tidying room and dishwasher would be enough, maybe stuff like laying the table.

CharleyDavidson · 19/07/2015 21:48

At that age I only asked DD to tidy her room and to put away her laundry which I had sorted into different piles for different people.

oddfodd · 19/07/2015 21:49

Tidying own stuff, keeping room tidy, putting dirty clothes in laundry basket/dishes in sink/dishwasher, helping to carry (lighter) bags of shopping/pull along suitcase.

That's it in our house.

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7 year olds

Carrie5608 · 19/07/2015 21:50

My seven year old is expected to clear away his own plate, keep his room tidy ie. clothes in laudry hamper, toys in correct place. He helps sort the recycling, tops up the dogs water bowl. Unload pots & pans from dishwasher. Also sometimes a little hoovering (usually in the hallway). I think a lot of the things you suggest are too much for a seven year old.

Raasay · 19/07/2015 21:53

They are expected to:
do their homework
their music practise
Put their dirty clothes in the wash basket
Keep their rooms tidy.

Occasionally they might Hoover, unload the dishwasher or help with general tidying but not as a regular chore.

They are 7 yo, they need time to play.

Timetoask · 19/07/2015 21:53

My 8 year old unloads the dishwasher at weekends (except for sharp things).
Hmmmm should probably get him going a bit more

jellyjiggles · 19/07/2015 21:54

My 7 year old puts own dishes etc in dish washer. Tidys his room. Helps to set the table. Puts clothes in laundry. Puts clean clothes away (sometimes). He can Hoover, iron, dust, cook, wash the cars, help in garden etc but generally if he asks. He uses these jobs to earn his pocket money. The more money he needs the more jobs he needs to do.

The summer holidays can earn him a fortune if he can be bothered.

Iggi999 · 19/07/2015 21:57

Mine will put things in the bin, put away something he's put out, carry shopping for me. Have never thought of getting him to do some of those things but will now

jellyjiggles · 19/07/2015 21:57

We all do a toy tidy up before bath/bedtime as well but that's because we all make the mess, we all tidy it up .

He usually grumps about it

Hulababy · 19/07/2015 22:09

At that age dd was asked to;

Keep own room tidy and put away toys etc
Put dirty clothes into laundry basket.
Help move her plate etc to the dishwasher after we had finished eating together

And that was it.

She was 7 and a child. It was more important to me that she had time to play, do homework and relax.

She is 13 now and has similar rules, though will help out with other household tasks as and when. None of us really has specific jobs just we do though. We all pitch in as and when. But after school dd is often busy with homework and that takes precedence.

Allalonenow · 19/07/2015 22:11

I think that is far too much for a seven year old, when do they get time to play or read?

I had lots of household tasks as a child, polishing brasses, washing dishes, laying the fire, daily morning tea and toast in bed for my Mother, were just a few of them.
I kept on doing these as I got older. When I called in at home on my return from my honeymoon, they had had a gas fire installed while I was away!

I rarely asked my own DS to do housework, though he did enjoy cooking.

Original poster

nappyfatigue · 19/07/2015 22:13

I was obviously a very sweet child (I used to hoover, tidy, load stuff in the dishwasher on my own initiative just to see the pure joy on my mother's face...it went on for years until I became a teenager) . I thought my girls would be the same....but they're not showing any signs of that kind of disposition. I'm wondering when I have to start getting a bit strict about it.

OP posts:

KanyesVest · 19/07/2015 22:14

Mine are 3 and 5 and they set/clear the table (don't load the dishwasher yet), tidy the playroom, put their dirty clothes in the basket, help hanging out washing, and fight over who gets to Hoover! I feel like a slave driver.

RobotHamster · 19/07/2015 22:28

I think all of that on a daily basis is too much, and I'm all for kids helping out around the house. My 8yo does a lot, but it's mostly about picking up after himself, tidying, putting his own laundry away etc. I'd not expect him to hoover, for example, but I will ask him to help his younger siblings tidy their toys as I'm making dinner and doing lunchboxes etc.

He's a very sweet child too. But I'd be mortified if he felt like he had to do chores to make me happy. He does stuff around the house because I'm not a skivvy, and we all muck in.. Not to see the smile on my face.

wallypops · 19/07/2015 22:40

My kids 6, 9,9,10 have learnt how to do everything pretty much so in a crisis they can Hoover, mop, wash, mow, clean windows, fold sheets etc properly. Can do quite a lot of cooking too.
Everyday they participate in laying and totally clearing up meals. They are in charge of tidying their own stuff. Putting away their clothes and their tidying their rooms. Car emptying is also part of the deal.

RobotHamster · 19/07/2015 22:46

Wallypops - your kids sound great :)

wallypops · 20/07/2015 09:37

Thanks Robot. They are pretty great apart from the fighting. We as parents come from very big families where we did everything and knew how to do everything. Farming families. It was hard but stuff had to be done. And as adults we have so much to do so if the kids want to us to do stuff with them they have to help out with the household stuff. As a team we get stuff done quickly and then they can shoot off and play.

Misslgl88 · 27/07/2015 13:26

My nearly 7 year old does jobs for pocket money. She has a list on the fridge which is tidying her room, helping with dishwasher and laundry, making sure her dirty clothes are in wash basket, she strips her own bed, lays the table and makes sure any toys that belong in her room are put back there

ProcrastinatorGeneral · 27/07/2015 13:28

12, 8 and 3 year olds. They clear their laundryaway, they clear their dishes away and they get roped I for helping with whatever task is going on. The eldest and youngest have just helped me clear the living room while the middle one is having a shitfit in his room. The toddler enjoys helping with laundry and considers himself the boss of recycling. My eldest is keen to do some more cooking over the summer.

The middle one is a pain to be frank. He has Aspergers and isn't naturally clean minded so getting him to accept that chores are a household issue not just mine is a daily battle. He would live in utter filth if left to it. I don't allow him to shirk chores as he needs to learn how to do things, but it's painful all around and often ends in tears.

ScorpioMermaid · 01/08/2015 00:02

i have 9 kids aged 13 and under, the 3 youngest are under 3 (one is 2 weeks old so obviously is exempt from child labour ) so don't have specific jobs as yet but like to help with laundry and fetching/carrying. They all have jobs to do and dd aged 7 helps with laundry (they all do, in turn), keeps her room tidy-ish, puts her clothes away, wipes the base units and handles and white goods in the kitchen (not a massive kitchen, she has about 6/7 cupboard doors, American F/F, dishwasher, washing machine).

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