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Original poster

do your kids do household chores?

52 replies

perfumelady · 11/02/2006 12:40

my three are 8, 11 and 14, i have spent most of my days tidying up after them(normal practise i know) but i was just wondering should i put some of the normal household jobs onto them, dusting,hoovering washing up etc or is that really bad, i'm not lazy but i just feel maybe if they know what is involved that they might think twice before messing something up if they are the one's that have to tidy it up. please let me know if your kids do chores what age did you make them do it.

OP posts:
Carmenere · 11/02/2006 12:43

God YES!! You will be doing them no favours by doing all the house work yourself. 8 is definitely old enough to do a bit of dusting and you are absolutely right, they will be slower to mess things if they have to tidy them up!

colditz · 11/02/2006 12:43

At that age I would at least have them (between them)
Washing up (the two eldest)
Loading washer
Hoovering
Dusting
Ironing (14 year old)
Cleaning kitchen (the two eldest)
Tidying - all of them, every day!

Should all be making their own beds and cleaning own rooms at least!

colditz · 11/02/2006 12:44

An hour or two ironing once a week isn't a bad thing to make a 14 year old do, my guess is that most of the clothes belong to him/her anyway

Flamesparrow · 11/02/2006 12:47

Mine is only 2, so only does basic tidying of her toys etc, but believe me, by 8 (and definately 14) she will be doing more! Apart from anything else, it is teaching them to do things for themselves, otherwise they will have a hell of a shock when they are sent off by themselves.

Flamesparrow · 11/02/2006 12:48

Mine is only 2, so only does basic tidying of her toys etc, but believe me, by 8 (and definately 14) she will be doing more! Apart from anything else, it is teaching them to do things for themselves, otherwise they will have a hell of a shock when they are sent off by themselves.

MarsOnLife · 11/02/2006 12:51

yes!

They started at about age 5, though they were setting the table before then it was just a bit hit and miss sometimes lol.

7777777 · 11/02/2006 12:52

my ds 11yrs keeps his room tidy and changes his own bed and washes the sheets, walks to the mutt twice a day , cooks me tea once a week, makes toast on my work mornings for me, looks after his little bruv while im houseworking/cooking

noddyholder · 11/02/2006 12:54

My ds does bugger all and he's 11 I will show him the basics when he is about 14/15 as I think he is a child still and has better things to do He will have to do the mundane things of life soon enough so I can't be bothered to nag him(runs for cover)

Spidermama · 11/02/2006 12:54

My kids help once a month and fill the washing machine every couple of months. It's not good enough. I'm so overwhelmed with housework that I tend to just get on with it when really I ought to be playing the long game and teaching them to do more - for everybody's sake.

waterfalls · 11/02/2006 12:54

Mine are only ds 5yrs, dts 2 yrs, so they dont do much yet, but they certainly will do as they get older, I cant bear the thought of doing what I have to do everyday for at least the next decade.

Flamesparrow · 11/02/2006 12:55

7777777777 Is your son available for hire???

Original poster
perfumelady · 11/02/2006 12:57

looks like i've been a bit soft, my kids have a huge shock coming to them over the half term.

do they do it with out moaning or do i make it pocket money related?

OP posts:
colditz · 11/02/2006 12:58

My mum never made me do anything.

As a result, when I moved out, all I knew how to do was look after kids while someone else did housework, unfortunately I had plenty of housework but no kids.

If I hadn't spent years working as a care assistant, and therefore learning about housework routines from other carers, I still wouldn't know what to do. I'm still crap now.

I do think it is very important to involve kids in the running of a house. It is something they will have to do one day. we all teach our kids to potty train, but a lot don't teach them to cook. I think both are important!

colditz · 11/02/2006 13:00

They won't do it without moaning, if you have always done it they will think it is your 'job'.

Make it pocket money related as in you will dock their pocket money if they don't cooperate!

It's best to have a set time at the weekend and at night to do things like that, so they know what to wexpect and can't say "Ohhhhh, but I was just going to/doing X"

mummygow · 11/02/2006 13:01

my dd is 3 and tidies her toys away, helps carry the washing upstairs, puts her dishes in the sink and has just started learning how to lay the table (because we were doing sorting and patterns one day) also helps with putting nappies in bin etc. The older she gets the more she will be doing and same applies for ds though he still has a long way to go - he's only 15 weeks

IvortheEngine · 11/02/2006 13:03

We've had this type of thread before and I meant to do something about it and still haven't. What I was thinking was along the lines of:- kids do 50 points worth of jobs a day and dh 100 points (work permitting.) The points system would be say:-

Brushing the cat - 10 points
Brushing the dog - 10 points
Walking the dog for 20 mins - 40 points
Pegging out the washing - 10 points
etc

Can anyone improve on this system and give me the kick up the butt I need to put it into practice?

Maybe there could be a reward at the end of the week for each person who achieved their full points allocation.

WharfRat · 11/02/2006 13:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

EuroExpat · 11/02/2006 13:14

DD (1 year old) helps tidy her toys and books away before she goes to bed. Is it ever too early to start to learn to do things for yourself?
I can´t remember a time when I didn´t have to help my mum with the housework. All hands on deck and definitely at ages 8, 11 and 14!

LilacBump · 11/02/2006 13:19

DD (4.5)

lets cat in and feeds him
tidies her toys away
helps clean her bedroom (dusting and tidying)
helps dry some of the dishes (plastic cups etc)
helps hang up wet laundry
helps carry light shopping bags from car into house

mistressmiggins · 11/02/2006 13:24

my 2 help otherwise I woulndt have time to play or do housework - something would have to give.

so cleaning the bathroom etc is a game - both kids stand in the bath & clean it with a cloth & water while I whizz round cleaning the toilet & sink etc.
I let them help me

  1. hang the washing out
  2. fill/empty dish water
  3. cook
  4. hoover
  5. dust
  6. mop kitchen floor

and of course tidy rooms & toys

DS is nrly 4yr and DD is 19 mths

if DS doesnt want to help he doesnt get a treat at end of week

Misspiggy · 11/02/2006 14:17

Yes they do. DS1 (15) has to make his bed and open curtains in the morning, unload and reload the dishwasher once a day, makes his own packed lunches, sort and put out the recycling and the wheelie bin and (in theory anyway)keep his own room clean and tidy. DS2 (9) sets the table and puts the mats etc away again after dinner, feeds the cats, makes his bed and opens his curtains plus he empties all the bins (except for the kitchen bin) once a week before the rubbish is put out by his brother. DS1 will also occasionally cook something basic like spag bol. chilli etc if asked plus he "babysits" DS2 if Dh and I are going out for the evening (that'll be at least erm...twice a year LOL) when it's mutually convenient. I think it's important that they see that running a house doesn't just "happen" plus it's good training for when they leave home. Just have to work on DH now...

crunchie · 11/02/2006 14:41

My kids don't get pocket oney until their rooms are tidied (we do it ogether) tehy also have to put dirty clothes in wash basket, help with dusting if we are doing it, put toys away (when reminded) lay the table, help clear away supper things. They are 6 and 4. In a couple of years time I expect they should be able to tidy/clean without supervision, at least. I am not saying mine do it without asking, but they should be competant at doing it.

You are FAR too soft. The 14 yr old should be able to anything you ask, 11 yr old pretty much all bar cooking a full on supper. And the 8 yr old washing up and clothes washing as a bear minimum. I can't believe you think you are being mean.

Original poster
perfumelady · 11/02/2006 14:56

crunchie it's something that i have never really thought about , i have always just automatically done it, i spose cause i work from home so am always here, maybe if i went out to work i would have got them to do things sooner because i would have had less time, i didn't really mean it as bad but what i guess i mean't was that i felt guilty putting things onto them that i have always done, but i realise now that i was being stuppid and dumb!!!! it will only help them in the long run. they are going to have a very busy half term

OP posts:
crunchie · 11/02/2006 15:04

You are doing it for their sakes, honestly

QE2 · 11/02/2006 15:08

My older 3 are 14, 12 and almost 10. Each week they are expected to change their bedlinen, hoover and polish their rooms. We have a chores rota up in the dining room. They rotate the chores every week, doing the same one for the week before swapping round.