I am about to draw up a rota to get my 3 kids doing chores and would appreciate any tips please.

[IAmReallyFabNow]

They are 5, 7 and 9 and I think a rota with ticks for when jobs have been done with a regular payment of pocket money will go down very well with mine.

Any ideas greatfully received.

I had similar thought for my two, ages nearly 7 & 8.5.

Will be watching this thread for ideas too!

I have a teenaged ds. When I know he's going out, I'll say stuff like, you can go when you've tidied your bedroom, done homework, emptied dishwasher etc etc and he does it with less repetitive requests and with more gusto.

Make a list of lots of jobs and then let them pick their own. Mine have to do 3 on a Saturday and everyday stuff such as make beds.

Even my 2 year old joins in

Yes, it works well with my 9 year old if he asks to go on the computer I say yes if he can empty the dishwasher first.

My DS is 6 and on a daily basis has to put his dirty clothes in the washing bin, make his bed, clear up his own toys, lay the table. He also empties the dishwasher sometimes, helps with cooking and helps his dad sweep up leaves and clean the car. He gets 20p a day if he does what is expected of him and without arguing etc. Loses 5p everytime he makes a big fuss. He puts in his money in a glass jar every days and gives a self-satisfied smile when he hears it jingling!

Mine are only 4 & 2 but we manage the following (sort of)...

• loading the tumble dryer and turning it on.
• putting dirty plates, cups, cutlery in the kitchen.
• taking their dry clothes upstairs and putting easy to reach stuff in the drawers.

Rota not yet done but I am going to do it.

Excellent idea - when it is done, can I copy it please?

Was thinking about this when dd was complaining about being bored during the school holidays - I realised she was bored because she has too much leisure time, and with some chores to do on a daily basis she will value her time off far more...

That is an excellent idea too!

I don't have a rota for my ds (8) but he does have certain chores he's expected to do and if he doesn't do them he doesn't het his pocket money. He has to dry and put away the pots each evening, bring his dirty washing basket through when asked and make his bed and keep his room tidy each week.
He gets £2 a week which he has to put in his supersavers account run through te local credit union at his school each week. If he doesn't do his chores he gets no money, simple as that!

bumping for later but my son(9) thinks you lot are mean and that he will have to do jobs later! He thinks you are putting ideas into my head and he is not happy!!

DS (6)thinks a rota is a terrible idea!!

If you're going to make pocket money dependent on it I'd be careful - this can backfire as if they don't want to do a job one week they might just think "Oh well - don't need the money anyway"

Although if they already get pocket money it could work better.

The pocket money isn't dependent on his doing his chores in our house, it's more that he loses some of it if he argues a lot or is cheeky etc., and this includes when we ask him to do his jobs, homework, reading etc. He has to do these things regardless! He does get a bit extra money if he does something else, like help clean the windows or go through his toys for a sort out occasionally.

I see what you are saying about the money. In fact DS1 couldn't be bothered to go and put his money in his money box so he gave it to his sister!

At the minute I give them money sometimes when they do jobs, usually emptying the dishwasher. Sometimes I expect it for free. They will do it happily for free if they are then getting tv/computer time.

What is the best way to do this then as I am clearly on the wrong lines?

They don't get pocket money for doing nothing, there is no set pattern and they do very little in the house.

My 5 year old has started putting his clothes away and is the only one who puts his dirty washing in the basket. His older siblings drop it and if it lands on the carpet next to it they leave it there. I have stopped picking up dirty washing off their bedroom floor and it won't be long before they run our of jumpers for school.

I could also use ideas for jobs that are fair to ask each child to do baring their ages in mind.

I guess if money isn't a good motivator, find out what is! Sounds like TV/computer time would be effective. Just make it the expectation that they "earn" this by pulling their weight. I think 5 year olds can help lay the table, tidy their own toys away, put some laundry away, dirty laundry in the bin. At 7 (my DS is nearly 7), add on emptying the dishwasher, making their own bed, help with cooking occasionally (my DS does it a lot but it's something he enjoys). Maybe your 9 year old could also help with cooking, put all their laundry away, help with hoovering etc. Depends what jobs you have needing doing. We have veg patch and some fruit trees, and DS helps out in the garden as and when it's needed. I do tend to give him extra money for this type of thing, e.g. collecting all the windfall fruit.

we do screen time as a reward once the jobs and homework have been completed.

All great ideas, thank you.