What do your 6 and 4 year olds do round the house???

[Jazzicatz]

All mine seesm to do is make mess. What can I expect from them?

with asking: mine tidy toys up after playing, wipe up spills with kitchen towel without asking: put their used plates in the sink/ by the dishwasher, put rubbish in the bin,put stuff to go upstaits in the hall, eat at the table only, take their shoes off in the house.

mine are 3.5 and 5.5, they tidy up their toys (with nagging) and like to be involved in household jobs, polishing, mopping floors, ds likes to vacuum, dd feeds the cat.

i think they are supposed to make a mess, but it doesn't hurt to get them involved in the day to day running of the house, it won't come as too much of a shock for them later

I have a 5,3 and nearly 2yr old.
They
tidy up their toys
help put dishes away from dishwasher
can brush the floors/hoover[ds who is 5]
dust
clean spills
wipe the table
set the table
put things in their rooms/toy box
put rubbish in bin
put dirty dishes in sink or on side in kitchen
clear table after meal

pretty much the same as stroppy knickers plus

sort socks and bung their clean clothes in appropriate drawer when asked

hang bath mat up after bath
hang up their coats

dust and clean windows and mirrors if they see me doing it and feel like joining in

hang out washing

They can put clothes in laundry baskets, tidy their toys and clear the table at the end of the meal. They can also lay the table. I would say that the 6yo can also hoover.

I have a ds who is 7 who is now doing laundry - from collecting up wash baskets, sorting into coloureds, wool, whites, putting on the correct wash cycle for each, transferring to tumble drier and then sorting out from tumble drier into ironing or boxes for each member of the family.

At 4 and 6 I think that clearing up toys is essential - set a timer and make a game of it. I also think that helping with laying/clearing dinner table to be a quick way of getting them involved. There is always a balance between what they would like to do to help and what ends up taking even longer for you. My dcs love doing the washing up for example, but they sometimes end up making more mess.

Hmmm think I need to 'encourage' them to do more that they do. If I ask them but they do nothing if on their own volition.

Hang out washing

My DD (4) does similar things to those described by stroppyknickers. She also loads/unloads the washing machine and hangs up clothes to dry.

So am I. He decided that he wanted this to be his job. It has been lovely not to have to do it, especially over Christmas. He is now nagging me to teach him how to cook.

Hanging out washing is easy and fun. They like shaking out the clothes. You can see who can make the loudest flap.

Indoors in the winter on the clothes airer.

Outside in the summer on the spinner. They started as soon as they can walk by handing over pegs and have graduated to standing on a mini-step ladder to reach.

It's pretty windy where we live so I always check they have put the pegs on correctly.

Glad mine are not flagging in the helping out corner! Also put place mats round when asked. BTW I don't give them stars/ pocket money for it - that way lies an overdraft...

er not much. Ds 4 puts plate on bench after dinner. Will clear away toys in a fashion but only if he has help, will not do it by himself. Feeds dog sometimes off own bat sometimes when reminded and sometimes flat refuses. will put clothing in hamper if we do something for him in return. He is a bit of a handful at the moment and am trying to ignore the negative so not making too much of a thing about it tbh,

Yawningmonster, at this age they only really do it if they feel like it or they are joining in with you. I don't usually push it if they flatly refuse.

You could say I 'trained' DS to hang up his coat by doing something in return. He would leave it on the hall floor and I would step over it for about half an hour until he came to ask me for something and then I'd say 'yes, when you've hung up your coat'.

Eventually it becomes a habit.

oh this has inspired me - i am off to show my six yr okd how to hoover

Mine is 2 1/2 and has always been really helpful. She loves to do the washing (obviously with me telling her what to put where) and she will clean up her own spills or put away her own toys, she will put things in the bin (for example after a yoghurt she knows pot goes in the bin and spoon in the sink). She's very good at the fetching and carrying type jobs.

Lol my dd whos four loves to hoover,...i do have to go over it sometimes lol but its all fun!

She loves to help with the washing, loading the macine and hanging it out.

I make a clear point of her helping me clean our fish tank as they are her fish :D She does a great job!

And then pretty much the same as mentioned above, dust, tidys toys (with me asking)

oh i tried to get her excited then half arsed pushed it round the middle of the room - come on put a bit of effort in i joked and she snarled 'im not a slave you know' - a bit attitudey today then i think ha ha

ha ha ha ha that funny, try again tomorrow lol