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Original poster

6yo DD cant finish any of the chores on time

29 replies

bhk3 · 28/01/2015 11:19

My DD 6 yo is always taking too much time to finish her chores be it her getting ready for school or finishing her homework. I end up helping her for everything. It becomes daunting for me sometimes in the morning rush since I too gotta get ready for work.Please suggest some ideas how to teach her the value of time.

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sliceofsoup · 28/01/2015 11:23

What all are you expecting her to do?

I have a 6 yo DD who is a complete daydreamer. I have found breaking it all down to one task at a time and gentle but constant reminders helps the most.

ZeroFunDame · 28/01/2015 11:25

Can she actually tell the time? As in read a clock?

Original poster
bhk3 · 28/01/2015 11:26

Constant reminders seems like nagging. So am quite skeptical in doing that.

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Original poster
bhk3 · 28/01/2015 11:27

Yes she definitely can read the clock.

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Heels99 · 28/01/2015 11:28

Reward her if she is ready for time.
Does sound like you may be expecting too much, get up earlier?

sliceofsoup · 28/01/2015 11:29

So you just leave her to it? At 6 years old?

I think you need to lower your expectations.

Quiero · 28/01/2015 11:29

The best thing you could do is wait a couple of years until she's actually old enough to manage these things entirely on her own.

Or, you could help her and everyone gets ready in time.

Theselittlelightsofmine · 28/01/2015 11:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

RoganJosh · 28/01/2015 11:33

I'd get up a bit earlier so you've got time to get yourself ready and then help her.
We have a bribery system where they can watch tv once they are dressed.

What exactly are you expecting Her to do?

MrTumblesBavarianFanbase · 28/01/2015 11:33

You have to remind kids frequently til at least the age of 10 I'm afraid, especially if time is tight. For my 7 and 9 yos I just keep calling out to them "have you done x yet?" Yes it is annoying, but my 3 and I can all be up and dressed (and showered in my case and sometimes dd's) in 15 mins thst way, then go downstairs all together for breakfast.

Homework can be broken into 10 minute chunks after which she can have a break to jump about gget some water (mine have had easilyhomework from age 6 - it takes several years for them to do it without any nagging)

MrTumblesBavarianFanbase · 28/01/2015 11:34
  • daily not easily homework
sliceofsoup · 28/01/2015 11:35

Oh and I still sit with my DD for her entire homework and guide her through it.

dementedpixie · 28/01/2015 11:36

goodness, I still have to hurry along my 11 year old dd in the morning whereas ds (8) is much faster!

MrsKCastle · 28/01/2015 11:37

It sounds like you're expecting quite a lot. My 6 year old does need reminders, she gets distracted easily. They're still little.

But you could try...
Talk to her the night before about what she needs to do in the morning. Make a list so that she can tick off each one e.g. wash face, brush teeth, get dressed, have breakfast. Together get things ready for the morning e.g. school uniform laid out, bag packed and ready by the door.
In the morning, remind her to look at and use her list, and offer a reward for completing all the tasks by a certain time. (At least 10 minutes before she needs to be ready). So, if she's ready by the time you've given her- completely ready, coat and shoes on- then she fan have 10 minutes doing something she chooses like watching TV.

TravelinColour · 28/01/2015 11:37

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Orangeanddemons · 28/01/2015 11:39

I still help my 8 year old with everything. She needs constant chivvying. (Is that a word?)

Wafflesandhoney · 28/01/2015 11:45

I have just bought a large egg timer for exactly this reason. Watching with interest!

Stinkle · 28/01/2015 11:45

I really think it depends on what you're expecting her to do.

My 9 year old still needs some support in the mornings, she's a total dolly day dreamer so needs reminding and chivvying along. My 13 would spend hours farting about with her hair if I let her

What is your morning routine like? I find if we have too much time then we get engrossed in breakfast TV faff about more so it's better for us if we get up later. It runs like clockwork the less time we have

I get up at 7 and get in the shower and get dressed, wake the kids at 7:30, they eat, get dressed, do teeth, hair, etc and out the door by 8:15. They sort their uniforms and school bags and I stash packed lunches in the fridge the night before

What sort of chores are you expecting her to do? Mine set and clear the table for dinner and load the dishwasher. I don't give them a set time though, the longer they take, the less time they have on Minecraft

How much homework does she get? My 9 year old gets to worksheets a week. I help her if she needs it, but mainly just let her get on with it. She can spend an hour fiddling with pencils and wailing about it, but it's up to her.

Original poster
bhk3 · 28/01/2015 11:58

Rewarding her sounds good. Will surely try. The most time taking job for her is eating. She keeps playing with her food or stuffing it in her mouth and sitting idle. She does the same at her school.Since there is a time constraint at school for lunch break she ends up with unfinished lunch.

OP posts:
cottageinthecountry · 28/01/2015 12:02

She's 6 years old, you just have to give her more time. Her co-ordination is a fraction of what yours is, she is smaller, weaker and less responsive. The best you can do is prepare better in the mornings and make it as amicable as possible, with rewards and encouragement.

There is also some value in allowing her to be late sometimes as school will be firm and she won't want that to happen again. You could mention it to them, I'm sure they will work with you.

Original poster
bhk3 · 28/01/2015 12:10

Thanks everyone. :)

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Teabiscuits · 28/01/2015 14:02

I'm struggling with this one too. DD2 is nearly 6 and spends half her life farting about. We have watched her and pointed out what she is doing to make things take so long. For example when getting dressed this morning I made her aware that she had just flapped her polo shirt around her head, laid it out flat on the floor then twirled around 3 times instead of just putting it on. She didn't even realise she was doing it.

The first time we gave her an instruction to 'get dressed as fast as you can' tried to dress herself while running full pelt up and down her bedroom. Grin They can be very literal sometimes!

Orangeanddemons · 28/01/2015 14:48

My dd insists on having a scratch before putting on a piece of clothing, it just drives me wildGrin.

Get dressed dd
Dd takes off pjs and scratches herself.
Get dressed dd
I'm just having a scratch
Get dressed dd
Puts on trousers and scratches herself.
Repeat ad infinitum until it is too late to go to school

RoganJosh · 28/01/2015 22:05

We got a ten minute timer that I bring out mid way through breakfast if my DD is being slow. Like this
www.amazon.co.uk/Sand-Egg-Timers-Set-minute/dp/B006QAYOBE

fattymcfatfat · 28/01/2015 23:42

She is still little. My ds is 6 but I dont have this problem with him. Everything I set for him to do he is perfectly capable of doing himself even if it takes him longer than it would me. But I wont help him to do his chires, if they are not done then he simply doesnt getbhis reward sticker....very rarely have this problem though. Maybe if you stopped helping so much you would see that she is capable and that she just needs that little bit more time. Or perhaps she takes her time on purpose knowing that you will help. I know ds would if he thought I would do it for him!