what jobs around the house can your 11 year old or 8 year old successfully do?

[cheeryface]

i have been letting mine off lightly recently and i think i need to get them helping out a bit.

ds2 (8) was in big trouble with his dad last weekend after making a HUGE fuss about setting the table. it's not fair he said, after dh had spent all day fishing and then playing footy with him

Ha! I am the queen of child labour, otherwise known as 'delegation'.

Empty dishwasher: Age 3+
Sort laundry for washing: Age 4+, but check it!
Put washing on unsupervised: 11+
Take washing out and hang up: 8 or 9ish
Fold washing and distribute to owners: 7+
Hoover: 6+, with varying levels of competence
Sweet kitchen floor: 6+
Put recycling out: 5+ (beware sharp tin lids)
Water plants: any age
Lay table: 5+
Clear table and put plates in dishwasher: 5+
Ironing: 9+
Unpack shopping: any age, with varying levels of success.
Strip beds for washing sheets: 4+
Make beds up with clean sheets: 9+

I'm sure there are others, but those are the most common ones in the frog pond. And no, I don't pay for chores, unless it's something really beyond the call of duty.

I have just recently introduced a rota in our house. DD is 11 and has just got her first mobile phone. I have told her that she has to take care of the credit on it and if she wants money to do that, she has to earn it! Her jobs are, emptying the dishwasher everyday. Clearing the stairs. (I put stuff on the stairs that need to go up throughout the day) Clearing all the toys away at the end of each day (I am CM). And also making sure her bedroom is tidy, including dirty clothes in washing basket. Also once a week she empties all the bins for bin day.

God, it sounds like slave labour doesn't it?

Thing is, she needs to learn that you don't get anything for nothing and if she wants money to put on her phone or go to the pictures with her friends, she has to do something for me.

ooh my ds1 is 5 next month-look at all the jobs frogs says he can do (rubbing hands in glee!)

Blimey, crossed with frogs! [maureen runs off to re-do the rota!!]

If you start young enough, they actually think it's a big treat. [evil chuckle]

That does wear off once they're about 7, but by then you've brainwashed them into accepting that these things have to be done and it's not fair that Mum should have to do them all.

See earlgrey's thread about putting clothes in the freezer for a cautionary tale about what happens if they don't clock this at an appropriate age.

dd1 AND dd2 (7 and 4) set the table
clear the table
put folded clothes away
tidy their rooms AND dd3s room
put dirty clothes in laundry
clear up spills with kitchen roll (they bothe love doing this )
make me a snack
weed
water plants

agree that the 4 year old thinks it is all an enomrous treat

Lay table, help clear
Iron (little simple bits)
Strip beds & put on new duvet covers etc
Dust, hoover, sweep floors (sometimes to help)
Tidy up
Polish school shoes
Help with gardening
Help with car washing
Always pick up their own mess (or it goes in bin/harsh!)

yeah, been on that one frogs! Shocking. It was very early when I commented the first time and I wasn't very understanding! My moto is W is for wife and not wench and M is for mother not maid!

Ds1(8), Ds2(7) and Ds3(3) all have jobs - of varying degrees of difficulty.
For example: Ds3 lays the table. Ds2 collects the dirty washing every morning. Ds1 vaccuums and put the washing on. All of them make their beds (after a fashion!) and strip the sheets on washing day.
Ds1 also makes a (filthy!) cup of tea.
Am with frogs: start early...

Top catchphrases in the frogpond:

"I was not put here on this earth to be your little slave"
"What did your last servant die of?"
and that old fave stolen from my Mum, "I suppose you think I've got nothing better to do than..."

I try really really hard not to say 'you treat this place like a bloody hotel!'

Mine all do bits if i don't get the time. But tidy bedrooms are a bit of an issue at the moment...they don't see the 'point' in having tidy rooms...thats the on-going saga in our house.....i used the phrase 'life-skill' at the weekend because of it..first time ever.

agree start early, its part of being a family, helping each other.

We (ds just 8, dd 6-and-a-half) do:

• set table (when asked, I'm thinking of making this something to do w/out being asked)
• "waitering" - ie summoning Daddy from the top of the house, serving, etc. This is a prestige job & gets fought over
• clearing own places (very nearly automatic now)
• loading own stuff into dishwasher
• sweeping kitchen floor after meals
• straightening own bed
• tidying toys

I am starting to introduce doing laundry.

My list is pretty similar to Frogs really - although DS2 has nearly mastered the washing machine now (new fancy ones with buttons rather than complicated dials) and he's only 3 1/2yrs.

TBH those parents who say "oh my chidlren should just be children" (ie do jack sh*t to help around the house) really annoy me - do they not realise that one day their precious little darlings will grow up and leave home - and have to manage these basic tasks on their own !

I think my 9yo needs some chores too, I keep meaning to give him a timetable.

He can, if pushed, unload the dishwasher, put clothes away, hoover and bath his sister.

When dd has FINALLY finished clearing her room and we discover she has a carpet afterall, I alway say. You see, if you did it everyday.... and she always finishes the line ...it would only take five minutes! So why is it so difficult to absorb this advice!!!

lol@maureen (again)...that is a classic one!

everything. except ironging for the 8 year old.

I'm embarrassed looking at some of these lists.

Mine (7 and 4) will

• lay table
• clear plates away
• sweep the kitchen floor (badly)
• put clothes in washing basket
• help me at the supermarket

erm....that's it. Am going to take some inspiration from Frogs I think!

No need to be embarrassed, they're still young enough to sort!

Must just share my proudest moment. Last xmas morning, dd, then 10, woke us up at 7am to say father xmas had been. so I said ok, go and put the kettle on and we'll be down in 2 minutes. 2 minutes later she appeared with one tea and one coffee for me & dh! My work here is done! Dh suggested we work on making bacon sarnies for this year!

just thought I'd add, my dd has just come in from school and asked if she can go to the park after she's done her jobs. I said yes as long as everything was done and the cheeky monkey PAID one of my mindees £1 to do after of them for her!!

That should have said HALF not AFTER!

my 7 year old can
tidy his room
hoover
Dust
match the socks
put a load of washing in and switch machine on
peg washing out
take washing in
make himself and his sister breakfast
work the toaster
make himself a buttie
take washing upstairs

I draw the line at making cups of tea though after what happened to my brother aged 9 years ago

My 4 year old can
tidy her room
dust
hoover (it's hilarious watching her)
try and match socks
fetch and carry (when in the mood)