We're in the midst of revamping chores around here, as I feel the kids have grown up enough to handle a heavier load, and I am tired of feeling like this...
And, it is really important to me that the kids can do housework as they grow older. I don't want them to grow up without knowing how to wash dishes, run a vacuum, fold laundry, etc. The laundry folding actually hasn't been bad lately, ever since we found... NINJA FOLDING! The Boy especially gets a kick out of folding his clothes "Ninja" or "Origami" style (yes, he is a strange child).
Of course I have to figure out how much they can actually handle, and what would be overkill. I'll probably make a chart -- it seems easier, for me, that way. I usually insert the charts, printed on cardstock, into page protectors, so that the kids can mark off what they've done with a dry-erase marker, and then at bedtime, I can easily wipe them off, fresh for the next day.
So tell me, what would you expect from a nearly 10 year old, and a nearly 12 year old?
I love the Ninja Folding idea!
ReplyDeleteLet's see... Gavin is expected to keep his own room clean, and fold and put away his own laundry (though I often tackle the laundry because it's there and just convenient for me to do it anyway). His household chore is vacuuming, which is my least favorite chore anyway. ;)
My daughter is 13 and we've never done chore charts or anything formal like that. I've just always asked her to help at the time it's needed and she does it. I've always approached it this way since she was little and she really doesn't complain. The things I expect her to do on her own daily without my prompting are empty the dishwasher, feed and water the dogs at dinner time, and keep her bathroom picked up. Her room is to be kept mostly clean (I do lower my standards for this for her sake since I am a neat freak) and she sorts her own laundry and also folds and puts it away. Lately I have shown her how to use our washer and dryer and she can now wash her own clothes although sometimes I grab some of her stuff if I don't have enough for a full load with just mine. (hubby does his own laundry) She helps cook, vacuums when I ask, etc. She does a lot but nothing I keep track of really. It's just part of life in a family.
ReplyDeleteI always find any kind of charts, schedules, etc. are a lot of work for ME to keep up with, so generally I just tell them what they need to do. It isn't always the same. They rotate helping with laundry and dishes since there always seem to be endless amounts of both. They also help out with bathrooms, vacuuming, sweeping and general straightening up. Honestly, my standards are mid level, but my ability to actually keep it done is low, so I don't ask it of them a lot either. It all gets done, just not as often as at other people's homes. The other big chore around here is helping bring in wood. We live in New England and use mostly our two wood stoves to heat our house, so it can be a fair amount of hauling.
ReplyDeleteThis post just popped up in my email feed now. Weird. Anyway, I wanted to mention that we use chorebuster.net.
ReplyDeleteIt's free and you take an hour at the very beginning and plug in all the jobs for your house and who can be assigned to them...in your kids' case, most could be done by them either alone or with a partner, given their ages.
Chorebuster then emails you a weekly schedule, and can also send each person an email with their assigned chores every day if you want.
Once we'd set it up, I took the kids around the first time I printed the schedule and showed them exactly how to do each job. After that, I check each time, but usually it's fine.
It helped greatly with not feeling so frustrated by all the things that weren't getting done around the house if it wasn't me doing it!