Help Needed Creating a Household Chore Rota for Children

[Treadmillmom]

Hi,
I have 3 DC a very capable 10 year old, a capable but will try to get out of it 8 year old and a confident 5year old.
I've explained that 2014 is when they start to do chores and they'll be paid but pick up their 'wages' monthly.
First question, pay per chore or per week? I do think it should be the same flat rate. The maximum I'm willing to pay is £2 each per week.
I think the 8 and 10 year old be able to do the same chores albeit different days/weeks. Obviously my 5 year old would be restricted by strength, height and health & safety.
The chores are;
Dishwasher - loading and emptying
Clearing and wiping down dinning table after meals
Sweeping kitchen floor
Putting out rubbish for bin men
Putting out paper/glass for recycling
Vacuuming/dusting - weekends only
They already fold their school uniforms and are better than dad at putting dirty laundry into the wash basket lol. They make the drinks at meal times and do their own packed lunches.
I need structuring the rota in regard to whom does what on which days. I'd like them to do at least one job off the rota daily.
I appreciate your help and look forward to seeing your suggestions.

Wow! Think your kids are doing very well already but am watching with interest as I'd like to start getting my kids to do chores.

Don't make them do chores for money. That sets a dangerous precedent. Just make them do chores because it's their home too.

I don't agree with money for chores either. Kids do chores to help the family home run smoothly.

Okay, I here ya with the money thing, can you help me structure the rota please?

Get them to structure it? Might be more willing to do it if they designed it

Rotas are not my thing- I don't have a rota for my own chores, things get done when they need done. Depends on home ctivities whether we have been at home at lot/out etc.
Sometimes I am feeling energetic and have a big blitz, cleaning out cupboards, other times it's a lick and a promise.
I expect my kids to keep their rooms reasonably tidy, put dirty clothes in the basket etc. They both love cooking so if one has made dinner then I will pile in and do the washing up.
They have a lot of homework during term time, and after school activities, i would prefer them toconcentrate on that rather than get bogged down with househld chores.

We give no money for normal household chores but some cash for jobs out of the norm.

We have tried rotas in the past and I've had to nag.its never worked. Now mine have the same job every night and seem very willing to do it. It's routine and clockwork so completed without questioning.

So my 3rd boy takes everything off the table and wipes surfaces including sweeping floors. The 2nd eldest scrapes plates, soak tricky pans and loads the dish washer, my eldest unloads the dishwasher after homework and scrubs pans.

I only expect a child to help clean up after a meal if they actually sat at the dinner table.

On top if this they do odd jobs at the weekend like cleaning the car and vacuuming. I expect them to do these jobs but also offer some cash.

I ask my kids to quickly tidy round their rooms for a few mins each day. The eldest sons room can be quite messy despite this

We have the same chores for cooked breakfasts and lunches at weekends however if one of the kids cook, I will take their rota place clearing up.

Putting aside other peoples issues of chores for money, a simple rota would be easy to do as a grid chart.

Down one side is the day of the week (monday to sunday) and accross the top the different chores. Then sit down with the children and let them help choose what chores they do what days. You can also put yours and DH names on there too (for jobs during week that they cant or dont need to do).

As example you could suggest DC1 to do the dishwasher mon, tues weds, DC2 does it thurs & fri and Dc3 does it sat & sun with your supervision. This works around any after school activities and each child knows what their jobs are and can swap a chore with a sibling if a job the normally do clashes with something else one week.

At the moment, my DD has a chores template I downloaded off the internet. Goes mon-sun and it has 3 rows: before, during and after school.

Before is stuff like: clear the dining room table. DH and DD take alternating turns to do so in the mornings, I always do the weekend. That's also when the table gets a clean, because
During school is stuff like :Mondays: hand in all the slips that need to go back.
Wednesday: make sure the entire clarinet is packed away safely.
Friday: bring home the gym equipment for a wash.

After school:twice a week she dries and puts away the dishes. Once a week she helps with making dinner. Every night she sets the table. Thursdays is the last day the washing machine goes on, her basket must be emptied and washed.
Fridays she must make sure the dirty gym equipment goes in the basket and fresh clean one goes straight into the sack.
It is also her responsability to decide when clothes don't fit (don't worry, I am keeping an eye on that) and dispose of them accordingly: some go to younger friends, some to charity, some in the bin.

The minute I finished folding/ironing her stuff she needs to take it to her room and put it where it belongs.

Her desk must be clear at all times she's not using it.
Sunday afternoon she must undo her bed and put it in the wash.

Any other stuff, like hosing down wellies after walks, she gets paid for, a few pennies. Same with washing bikes/cars.

I have two DD -13 and 10 and one DS - 8. We (controversially) do have a rota (sort of) and they also (even more controversially) complete their jobs for money. They each have a list of jobs to do by the end of the week, e.g. ironing, loading and unloading their clothes from the washing machine, taking the dog for a walk, organising the bookshelf, making my bed (hehe) and they tidy their rooms which they do for about ten minutes daily and at the end of the week as a competition (good tip if you have competitive kids). DDs are obsessed with being organised so I think they find it fun, as they actually came up with the rota themselves (I don't have patience for things like this). If they don't complete all of the jobs, they get money deducted. So we don't really treat the money as an insentive, more as a wage that you would get in work.