Chores and Rotas

[theredhen]

We have a rule that the kids wipe up after dinner. We have a mixed house, some kids who live with us full time, some part time.

One thing that keeps coming up is that some kids are out at friends more than others so don't do their wiping up when it's their turn often meaning that the child who did it the last night does it again.

This is causing problems in that the home birds feel they are being penalised by having to do more wiping up.

I thought a rota might be the way to go? Although I don't know how that would work in reality. I'm sick of the arguing every night.

Wipe up yourself and concentrate on getting DCs to put laundry to wash and looking after their own stuff, spaces.

Rotas sit on the wall looking pretty, but I have yet to meet a child capable of reading one

DD has only 1 regular chore - sorting out bins/recycles etc every Sunday and putting bins on verge. Other stuff is just 'jobs' as they come up - empty dishwasher, feed cats, hoover. I'm not big on rotas, since I'm not prepared to do the mega-nag to back that up - Sunday's bin-fest is bad enough - and I think she should help out any time when asked/told to.

In your case, would f/time kids get a night off when p/time kids are there, work? Or a minimum 'wash-up' count per week for everyone and over that you get £/extra TV time etc? Try rewarding the stay-at-homes rather than making them feel put-on.

It's difficult when some kids aren't there all the time. I think I would focus on everyone pitching in. Say you have 4 DC - one can clear the table, one can load the dishwasher, one can wipe down the table and one can sweep the floor. Rotate it around every night if they find it unfair, but the easiest way is probably to get everyone to just help together. Rotas will go out of the window if someone is out at an activity or at a friend's.