Which chores (if any) does your four-year-old do?

[Scrumplet]

And does he/she earn pocket money for doing them?

As someone who never had to do chores as a child (bad plan), and who is now crap at keeping tidy and at encouraging her DS to do the same, I'm after tips.

We're trying something new, which seems to be working. I'm just curious to know what works in other households.

TIA.

Dd1 helps me tidy up, dust, clean the windows and sweep the floor. I don't give her money though as she gets too much spent on her.

DD has to help me tidy her bedroom of the chaos she creates with her toy mountain before bed as does DS 3.

Other than that I do not encourage them to do chores( I had the oposite and was running the house at 12 ys old)

They do like to help out with various jobs and if they want to join in then then can( a favourite is mashing potatoes, changing duvet covers - although thats just a game, and hanging out the washing)

I think they should be aware Mum is not a slave who just runs round after them, but also enjoy their childhood for what it is

my 3.5 yo dd empties washing machine, dries dishes, cleans up her own spills, picks up her crumbs etc, packs away cutlery.....i hope by the time she is a teenager she can do most household chores and occasionally cook basic meals. Myself and my siblings looked after the house and did all the cooking so my parents could work night and day shifts.

we are more fotunate economically (we have a cleaner etc) but i expect my dd to be just as efficient, even if it means following the lceaner around the house to see how things are done. As for payment, that is not even a consideration. These are life skills.

by the way she finds it all fun and games at the moment but i am sure as she gets older she will grumble sometimes. But will learn that tidying after her self and helping to keep the household run smoothly is not option. My DH works alongside me 50/50 as did my dad so I hope this will show her that she wasn't put on this earth to run after her hubby one day either.

Slightly older now, but at four making own bed and putting dirty clothes in linen basket at bathtime. Both mine get £1 pocket money for doing this - it is really teaching the value of money. They can now relate the cost of everything to how long it would take them to save up. Also means I can now say - if you really want it you can save up (sometimes they do and sometimes they decide they don't want it after all!). Adding a few more chores as they get older (they are now five and seven) such as setting and clearing the table. Actually they both enjoy the responsibility and like the idea of being helpful - they are also rather proud that they "earn" their pocket money.

ds lays the dining table, puts his dirty clothes in the washing basket, tidies up his toys etc .... and anything else he gets nagged about! I don't give him pocket money as I feel he is still too young.

Thanks for replies. Your little ones' efforts are encouraging. I am just amazed, though, at them doing them - at this age - with no incentive. DS will do odd bits when I ask, and he has a few allocated jobs which he is expected to do every day, but the deal (at the moment) is he gets a modest amount of pocket money at the end of the week if he's done them.

I am with you, forevermore, on these ideally being unpaid life skills; no one pays me to do them, so why should a child be paid? (Other than it being a platform for them to learn about earning money for a job well done.) But most four-year-old boys I know wouldn't dutifully do housework daily when asked to - they are just not interested. It sounds as though most of the kids posted about on this thread are intrisically motivated to get involved - they want to do housework. How do you encourage children who don't want to, to do their share?

dd (4) and ds (5.5) both put their clothes straight into the (colour-sorted!) laundry baskets, tidy up toys and their bedrooms when necessary, help set and clear the table, and help with cooking, esp at the weekend, when they and daddy make my tea every Sunday. They don't get paid specifically for chores, but they do get £1 each per week, (which they're currently saving up for a big lego set) and chores are expected to be done!

I am with you, Lilian, in that introducing the 'earning' dimension has got DS interested in chores - and not just because he gets paid. He seems proud and responsible to be doing his bit, and is making the connection between doing something to earn a bit of money (which, incidentally, he's great at saving). It's a tricky one.

When they complain about doing their share of chores, I normally just point out that I don't always feel like making hteir tea / washing their dishes / whatever would currently affect them most. I ask "would you please do . . . " and if they say "no", then I remind them that this is a polite way of me telling them to do it!

DD is 3.5 and she will:

put her dirty clothes in the wash basket
put the washing in (if I bring it downstairs) and likes to set the washing machine going
help me with dinner (chopping mushrooms etc)
sweep up (she likes it!)
tidy her toys away

etc

we dont give her money for it - often on a friday we'll give her our loose change for her money box, she's saving for a DS

My five year old DS puts his dirty clothes in the linen bin, helps tidy up toys, helps lay table and sometimes helps put washing up away. I've started teaching him how to sweep the floor.

dd is 5 but from about 4.6
lays table, helps clear away
puts dirty washing in basket
helps hang clothes up, puts pants socks etc away
can make own lunch
helps with car washing

don't believe in paying to do her bit

oh and she loves to sweep and mop but is more enthusiastic than efficient at the mo'

Both my two help with the housework [2.9 and 4], no incentives - I want them to me enlightened men

Put dirties in colour sorted wash basket
load washing machine
transfer to tumble dryer
take their plates out
DS1 sweeps under the table after food
help preparing food
get clothes out
help pop ironed clothes away
dust

tidy - we have a song and try to do it before it is finnished

I am a SAHM, so they just kind of follw my lead. I do not want to pay them for doing the basics as I want them to know it is expected of them. They may get paid for extras as they get older

My DD is 5 and she:

Loads the washing machine for me
gets her clothes out and puts her clean washing away
Sweeps and uses the dustpan & brush to put dirt in the bin
Tidies her own room and he baby brothers
Sometimes helps to dry up, her plastic plates and cutlery usually

She's quite helpful really...