Poll: household chore list for primary school aged children please.....

[Earlybird]

What jobs do your dc do to help out around the house?
What are their ages?
Is pocket money linked to some/all of the chores?
What chores do you anticipate introducing in future and at what age?

I realise the dd can and should help out more around the house, but have generally not asked as I am so accustomed to doing things myself. That is all about to change

Oh yes - any special motivation tips so I don't have to nag her?

We haven't started pocket money yet, but I don't think it should be linked to regular chores. I don't think there's any harm if it's for something exceptional like washing the car.

There was a thread about this recently.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=behaviour_development&threadid=673482-here

sorry here

What age is she?
My main tip is to have a 'time' for chores. For my boys this is after tea and before The Simpsons (which they watch every day).
We also usually give them some degree of choice (depends on what needs doing), as they get bored if they always have to do the same job.
ds2 is 9 and can/does do the following:
Make me a cup of coffee
Load the dishwasher
Empty the dishwasher
Sort the dirty laundry and load/programme the washing machine
Empty the washing machine
Load/programme the tumble drier
Sort/fold clean laundry
Clean the bathroom sink
Dust in the living room
Sweep the stairs
Hang washing outside in summer
Empty all the bins
Sort the recyling and put the recycling bins out
Clear the table
Set the table
pack his case for going away
tidy his room
change the bedlinen. (ds1 - 11 -can't manage a double duvet cover but ds2 can!)

probably some other things I haven't thought of!

We don't link it to pocket money or anything, it is just expected as part of living in a family not a hotel! The only 'reward' thing we do is more linked to routines really. Once a fortnight I do them a cooked breakfast on a Sunday and whilst I'm cooking the breakfast they change their bedlinen.
HTH

They've been doing jobs since they were tiny.
Obviously at first you need to explain each job slowly and carefully and do some close supervision, and accept that at first they will not be able to do as good a job as you would yourself!

I'm sure there was something else I was going to add, but I can't think of it just now.

My situation is a little complicated as my eldest has chronic health problems, so it's difficult to maintain any regular schedule of chores. Though I will ask her to wash up or whatever when she feels well enough. On the whole, though, doing a whole day at school is all she can cope with, and she doesn't really have the strength for any leisure activities either.

So I can't in justice link pocket money to performance. FOr this reason, I don't think it would be fair to do that for her much younger brother either, though again I will ask him to help out as and when needed.

Hi EB.

We have:

• ALWAYS clear your own place (plate, cup, cutlery, scrape into bin if necessary, things into dishwasher, put place mat on side, napkin away tidily - principle is that a nosy child should be able to come into the room and not be able to tell anyone's been eating at the table - we call this the "child detective" rule). If someone else (eg Mum) has been a bit slack about clearing her place, be helpful & clear theirs too

• put toys away neatly (and try to put away one thing before you get the next out ... though this doesn't always fly)

• put things that need washing in laundry basket (including working out what actually needs washing - so not just auto-pilot dump in laundry basket of whole sloughed off outfit)

• do miscellaneous things you are asked to do - fetch stuff, put away laundry, set table, take out rubbish, change loo rolls - as and when asked, and to do it nicely: no grumbling, no "later", etc.

I think the last one is quite a tough one for children (or anyone) to get their heads round (the being interrupted, the having to deal with someone else's agenda & priorities that aren't, right then, yours; and all that) & therefore a bit of a useful life skill.

None of this is linked to pocket money, by the way. It is linked to me going on pompously about social contracts and co-operative living.

I like the tone of your guidlines Bink.
I might steal your 'social contracts and co-operative living' phrases, as my boys are bored of me saying 'because this is a home not a hotel'!

Sorry to be slow in coming back to this thread.

Otherside - you're right that there do seem to be a spate of these sorts of threads around atm. Thanks for the link.

roisin - very good basic list, thanks. I find that dd will help if asked, and usually doesn't grumble. But, am afraid I haven't been consistent enough for her to know her responsibilities and simply attend to things automatically without being asked/reminded every time.

Hi Bink! Very much like your 'social contract' and 'cooperative living' approach. Historically, it has felt like me imposing my will (and almost asking a 'favour') instead of the idea that helping out/contributing is expected in a 'community'.....even if it is only a community of two people!