What chores does your reception child have.

[fruitstick]

Ds1 is nearly 5. Our house is always untidy as DH and I are not great.

I never lifted a finger as a child.

But I think ds1 would benefit from having some chores. His behaviour isn't great and I thought a bit of structure might help.

What do yours do?

At the moment he sometimes helps me cook and likes a turn with thR power mop but they are not regular tasks.

very little, has to put his shoes and coat away when he comes in, has to tidy up toys after he has used them, helps me in the kitchen when asked (putting away things out of the dishwasher, getting knives and forks out etc), put his dirty clothes in the washing basket.

That's the kind of thing really. And does he do it willingly or is is a bit of a battle.

Getting Ds1 to put his toys away is like the Arab israeli conflict so I just give up and do it myself.

I realise that this does not help matters.

What's a reception child?

Tidying toys
Clearing his plate from the table
Tidying shoes away after he has come in from school
Helping me - polishing and Wiping. He also helps hoover and sweep
He enjoys helping with cooking too

He is Keener on some tasks rather than others

DS is reception (just started school Mooos), and he's young for the year, with a June bday.

He has to:
Clear up all his own toys (but I will get on and do it with him as that speeds him up)
Put his own dirty laundry away
Put his own shoes, water bottle & coat away on coming in
Put his clean pants and socks away
Lay the table (when asked, not every day)
Take each person's plate of food to the table for them when I've served up
Clear his own plate and cup from the table after dinner, lunch and breakfast

For pocket money he can do extra jobs - like clearing up the baby toys, or helping with the gardening, etc.

Reception is the first year of school in England (for children aged 4 to 5).

When they get in from school: hang up their coat, put their bag and shoes in the designated areas and wash their hands.

That's it for things that they HAVE to do. In addition if they asked to then they help with; sorting clothes for washing, putting clean clothes away, setting the table.

I think reception is a bit young to ask much of them. They mature quickly so, so long as you show him what to do, he can probably have more sensible tasks aged 6.

Put away coats, shoes, bags.
Tidy bedroom, straighten beds.
Bring me the dirty clothes for washing
Help lay table
Bring dishes from the table/put in dishwasher.
Tidy toys and books
Sweep the patio (they love this for some reason!)
Plant and pick vegetables
Put garden toys back where they belong

Not sure I'd let either of my two off with a mop or vacuum yet, but perhaps I am underestimating them!

Nothing too arduous, but they need to know that basic chores and putting things where they belong is part of daily life and just something we all as a family do.

It's always been the norm, so I don't think they see it as a "chore" IYSWIM.

my just 5 year old (and 3 year old) pretty similar, he also has to get his own clothes out.

DS1 (5) and DS2 (4) put their coats on sofa near cupboard so I can put then away and shoes likewise, neatly.

Put their own dirty clothes in the basket.

Take their dinner plates into kitchen ready for dishwasher, sometimes they take ours too.

Pick thier own junk up from round the house.

DD (5)

make bed in the morning
put shoes/coat/scarves etc away in the lobby NEATLY
clean her school shoes on Sunday afternoon
put any toys and books away she has played with
swill the bath out after she is finished
take plates/glasses out to the kitchen after eating
help bring shopping in from the car
dust the tv and fireplace

DS (3)

make bed
coats/shoes into lobby neatly
toys/books away
he is also in charge of keeping their bookcases neat
plates/glasses out to the kitchen after eating

ALL DIRTY CLOTHES INTO THE BASKET and they are both capable of loading the machine, putting tablet in and turning it on (we have a sticker on their programme so they know which one to use)

When DD reaches 6 I will start giving her some responsibility for the dishes (probably the breakfast ones because they are the easiest)

I am always amazed at how little other peoples children do and how surprised they are at 13 when their child refuses to take a plate out to the kitchen or wash a dish.

As I often say to the DC 'I am not here as your skivvy, we are a family and we all muck in'

dd (4.5) puts her school clothes ready for the next day and checks everything is clean, puts dirty stuff in laundry basket and gets clean stuff from her wardrobe

when coming home hangs coat,hat, gloves, puts shoes away and changes in other clothes

tidies toys after playing

during weekends: empties dishwasher and loads dishwasher (except heavy pans and sharp knives), lays table, makes her own sandwich, helps wash the car, helps gardening, helps cleaning in the house (dusting, mopping).

when she has used something she tidies it up. when we have done shopping she helps me putting everything where it belongs. Often out of her own initiative she feeds cat, puts new loo rolls in toilet, put new soap bar, put used towels in laundry basket.

I rarely have to ask and if so, it is not a problem she loves helping whilst commenting that she is such a big girl and that 'not many four year olds can do this mum'

Blimey Dicker, even DH can't manage all that :-)

Mine do some household stuff routinely but I also outsource chores that I hate and pay 1p per paired sock. When my 6 year old was in the craze of having to buy every rainbow puppy going this worked great-now she too can't be bothered as has gone off rainbow puppies.

I'm impressed! But would say DS1 (5) is more helpful than OH.

I like him to lay the table
Tidy up bedroom and living room
Put clothes in basket

He's keen to help (occassionally) but think its important that they get used to chores early as it becomes a way of life not a battle.

DS (5 yr1) but August born:

Dirty clothes in laundry basket
lay the table
put dirty plates etc in the sink when finished meal
Get out of school uniform when we get home & put shoes away/hang coat up etc...
Has tidy up time before bed
Likes to help hoover when I need him too (but its more of a hinderance )

In the past, there have been times she didn't want to tidy her toys (she has a massive amount of toys, I mean truly massive), so I told her whatever I have to tidy I will tidy but it goes in a box in the loft until she looks after her own toys, that helped a great great deal. Also, she is now really keen on Sylvania, and we have lots of that tiny tiny stuff, she knows she has to tidy because when I am vacuuming she risks things being hovered up and gone for ever. So she takes great care with that. Plus nowadays, she just seems to love cleaning, often I see her cleaning her Sylvania houses with a damp cloth .... Also, in the past (but this was when she was 2.5) she had a reward chart and got stars for tidying up amongst other things and with five stars she could have a small present. I agree with you that it is a good thing to learn these things early. I once had an excellent cleaning lady who had a boyfriend who never tidied anything, after work he came home and left a trail of clothes and expected her to tidy everything, have dinner ready, tidy up afterwards, etc etc, she did all that (and worked herself during the day). She always said yes, well his mum always did it for him, I cannot change it ...

My 3 (7, 5 & 3yo) have to

Hang up coats, put shoes in cupboard & put bookbags away when they come in.

Take their dirty dishes from table to drainer or put in dishwasher if it's empty.

Take their toys upstairs.

Put their dirty laundry into the right baskets (dark, coloured, light - even the 3yo can do this pretty well).

Lay the table.

Help tidy their rooms/playroom.

Put clean washing away in drawers.

Help empty dishwasher.

Hang up their towels after bath.

The 3yo also likes to 'help' mop the floors and clean the bathrooms etc but he does make the job last much longer than it normally does.

Ds and dd have to make their beds every morning, put dirty clothes in laundry basket, tidy up toys - they has been doing this since they were 4 and 6 when we started giving pocket money. They are both pretty tidy as a result and will certainly tidy up their stuff if asked (in fact they have sometimes slightly embarrassingly been known to aks why some people's houses are so messy ). Other jobs like laying the table, clearing away, hoovering, they do periodically as a treat(!)Your ds certainly isn't too young to start - mine actually relish the responsibility.

Right, that's all very interesting. Thank you.

I always feel that my house is a mess and I never have enough time. But that's because I bloody do all the tidying.

We don't have enough storage at the moment so it's difficult but as soon as we do, Ds1 is on his own

My 4 year old son enjoys filling the washing machine and pressing the buttons,and he puts his toys away evey night, but thats it really.. cant wait till he's old enough to wash up!

I expect 4 yr old dd to put away her coat and shoes when we get in and usually put her dirty clothes in the laundry at bath time.

She likes setting the table, and will help tidy toys and clothes if we do it together.

At this age I don't really expect her to do 'chores' as such, just want her to learn a few helpful habits.

I don't think that there is a problem with a four year old doing 'chores', firstly they probably won't perceive them as 'chores', secondly, part of being a family member is helping out (in line with their abilities obviously). With my dd it seems to work well. Her Reception teacher actually has commented several times, that she is very organised and tidy. Often she takes the initiative to tidy books/toys etc away and she even seems to persuade other kids to help her ... A long long time ago, when I was studying I had a part-time job as a cleaner in schools. A lot of my friends were going to a yoga class at that school whilst I was actually cleaning in the school (so couldn't go to that class). That yoga teacher once remarked: The basis of everything is a tidy mind, a tidy mind will find peace. So don't worry about not being able to go to a yoga class because cleaning/tidying has the same impact on the mind ... Make of it whatever you think, but it has somehow always stayed with me. In my previous job (Director), I always used to make sure my desk was spik and span, before making a big decision, somehow worked for me. Hope something like this rubs off on dd.