Do you (or would you) make your kids do chores?

[youthere]

I do. Lots of them in fact.
All three are responsible for caring for the critters and "livestock" (chickens and pigs).
All three are responsible for keeping their own rooms (reasonably) clean and have to put their laundry away.
My son sets the table
My youngest daughter clears.
My oldest daughter loads the dishwaser.

My oldest daughter is responsible for hauling all the laundry downstairs
My son takes out the trash.
My youngest daughter has to put away clean dishtowels, bathtowels, sheets etc. (the "household" laundry)

Oldest has to sweep and mop kitchen and dining room once a week.
Son has to vaccum the stairs once a week) (I do the daily vaccumming
Youngest has to dust.

They all three clean out the cars once a week.
They also have to help with seasonal things (like raking leaves or hauling wood) or major cleaning projects (basement, garage etc).
The whole family helps clean (really clean) the house once a week, so they might have to wash windows or clean and straighten a cupboard or something.

My MIL thinks I'm too strict, and I am SHOCKED at the number of my kids' friends that don't have to do ANYTHING.My philosophy is that we are all part of one family and one household. That means we work together to keep things running smoothly and everyone has to do their fair share.
Your thoughts?

[malta blue]

1. Right on Youthere!

I make the 7y/o do chores like put the laundry away, help empty the dishwasher, set the table, clean her room, etc.

That's how she collects her allowance - a paltry $1 a week.

Failure to do any of the above results in a 10 cent deduction.

[youthere]

3. We do the same thing!

We also deduct for crappy attitudes and sloppy work.

[malta blue]

4. Absolutely!

If they still get the same amount with a crappy attitude, what's the point?

[youthere]

7. LOL-we once went through a really tough week with our 12 year old..

where she ended up OWING us 50 cents (she had a really VILE attitude all week). She snapped out of it pretty quick when she realized we really were going to make her pay up.

[av8rdave]

25. Funny how that works....

My daughter's allowance is automatically deposited into her bank account, and she has a debit card she can use - if she doesn't get her chores done, it's a quick click of the mouse to reduce/eliminate the allowance. Nothing even needs to be said.

[youthere]

30. I love that idea!

[BigMcLargehuge]

2. not chores per-say, but Ian has responsibilities

He feeds the cats.

He is the first line of defense with regard to his insane daredevil of a little sister, i.e. he's our eyes and ears when we're making dinner or washing the dishes etc...

He picks up toys and puts them away when asked.

He rakes leaves with me in our ginormous yard (he then runs through the piles... but hey, he's 5).

He has two flowerboxes that are his responsibility to weed and water from spring to autumn. His friggin flowers looked better than mine or Mrs. McLargehuge's all damn year. Little green thumbed bastard...

Anyway, when it isn't in conflict with his school schedule -

He helps feed the animals at my mother in law's house, four dogs, three cats, one horse.

He helps clean the stall of horse poop, he even has his own little wheelbarrow.

[malta blue]

5. That is impressive for a 5y/o

Cleaning out the stall of horse poop? Wow, good for you!

[BigMcLargehuge]

6. he works alongside me or his mom on "road apple duty"

we don't just send him in there alone... Dallas might nuzzle him to death if we did that.

[malta blue]

8. Road Apple

Like I said, that is impressive! What a way to teach responsibility with animals!

[youthere]

9. LOL-maybe he can give me some pointers...

Vegetables I have no problem with. Flowers on the other hand.....

[BigMcLargehuge]

13. I don't know how the hell he did it...

since he did his gardening while I was at work. I know he meticulously weeded his boxes (and our circle garden), but he didn't have any fertilizer or anything else...

Me, I kill plants just by looking at them.

He must get his skills from his mother.

The "Circle Garden" before planting

The "Circle Garden" after planting

The "Circle Garden" poppies

[Midlodemocrat]

10. Yes. All three of mine have regular chores to do.

Oldest: (when she's not stressing about AP homework or field hockey) cleans the kids' bath, does the laundry, empties the dishwasher.

Middle: Trash, and bigger projects that require brute strength. Last Sunday he moved 4 pallets of brick from the side drive to the backyard, about 4,000 pounds.

Little: Loads the dishwasher, sets the table, helps put away laundry.

They all do what we call the 'ten second tidy' at the end of the day, putting away stuff that has been taken out during the course of the day. And, they are all responsible for keeping their rooms reasonably neat.

[matcom]

11. do you unchain them long enough to use the bathroom?

or make them shuffle through their own feces?

[Midlodemocrat]

17. They can pee when they go outside to take out the trash.

[youthere]

18. self-delete dupe.

[youthere]

19. We only cut ours loose on Christmas and birthdays.

But then again, I'm just an old softie.

[Fuzz]

12. No doubt.

My daughters are 6 and 10. They set the table for dinner each night, collect and take out the garbage twice a week, responsible for their rooms, help clean the house, help with the laundry and actually like to help me cook. They also help with some stuff outside occasionally like pick up the sticks, dog crap and other debris, pick weeds out of the garden with me, harvest veggies, etc. Good kids, most of the time

I always tell them it's part of being a family to help each other out.

[Blue Diadem]

14. I raised my three similar..except I had some

problems with my husband not agreeing. He didn't have to do chores as a kid, so he'd often let the kids slack. Of course, they sensed his feelings about it, even though he never really said anything outright except to me. I'm glad those years are over.

What's funny is they're all grown now and appreciate that they know how to take care of a house. My oldest grandchild is 7 and she is expected to help put her clothes away and keep her room picked up. She occasionally helps do other things too, mainly dusting and she also helps take care of her cat and her fish. Even the 3 yr old is learning how to pick up her toys and dust.

[Dulcinea]

15. Absolutely.

My almost-5-year-old is learning to make her own bed & set the table. She loves helping when I'm making dinner!

She & her little sister, almost 3, both know our rule is "no cartoons unless you pick up your toys," so they're pretty good about that. Kids should be taught to pick up after themselves as soon as they're old enough.

[Mutley]

16. Don't have kids.

But my sister and I had all sorts of chores when we were kids. And they had to be done before we could get our allowance and go out with our friends, too.

[tk2kewl]

20. I will wait on them hand and foot...

and allow them to scream in public as much as they want.

[Broken_Hero]

21. Of course...

I was brought up with a good amount of chores, and I wouldn't put that much burden on my own kids, but they will have a lot of chores...especially mowing grass!...

[China_cat]

22. You don't work, you don't eat.

[youthere]

28. LOL!

[YankeyMCC]

23. Oh boy I'm trying

my son's 10, we're trying to have a set chore list but I'm afraid it hasn't been a very consistant application in practice.

But definately it's a good idea.

[youthere]

27. I think we all struggle with that..

but it helps to start small with just one or two things and work up from there. With lots of positive reinforcement it's amazing how they will step up to new responsibilities.

[tjwmason]

24. No sprogs here

but I always had them when I was young.

Interestingly there was never any connection between them and pocket-money; we (my sisters and I) were expected to do things because we're part of the family, not so that we'd get cash for it.

[ScreamingMeemie]

26. My daughter is in charge of the cat clean up, her room and the bathrooms

every Saturday. My son is in charge of feeding the dog and poop scooping (that works out really well /sarcasm) and yard clean up when MrG mows. It works out well, they don't like it but I do.

[AirmensMom]

29. Yes. Well ... they DID.

They're grown and out of the house now. Ours had to make their beds, clean their rooms, do their own laundry (at 11 and 13), and each one had a cook-and-clean day when she would make dinner and clean up afterwards. (We tried to have one cook and the other clean up, but it turned into a who-can-make-a-bigger-mess-for-the-other-one contest. ) They alternated weeks with chores like scooping the kitty box, taking the dog for his walk, dusting, and vacuuming. We did the raking and spring cleaning together. They did complain sometimes, but they took pride in their favorite chores -- like cooking. They're both wonderful cooks now!

They had to take care of their own toys as soon as they were big enough to get them out by themselves. My grandson has to do the same, so I know some of our rules stuck pretty well. They always helped their dad with the cars (cleaning and fixing them) and now they have very well-maintained cars that they're proud of.

I never saw other kids do chores, either, except for the ones who lived on a farm. I don't think chores hurt kids at all. It's good for them to be involved.

Good for you!

[MissMillie]

31. I leave my 19 year old a list every day

Anyone who lives in the house has to do their share. I'm not a maid.

[MrCoffee]

32. My kid's 2 1/2 and she has "chores" to do.

She picks up her toys and is expected to keep her room reasonably neat (reasonable to a 2 1/2 year old, that is), she helps set the table, she helps me wash the dishes.

[nosillies]

34. My 2 1/2 also has "chores"

He helps me carry the shopping in from the car. He has a small carpet sweeper that he uses when he gets too much food on the floor. He loves to take trash and put it in the trash can for anyone who asks.

And when he takes his clothes off, he has to put them in the dirty clothes hamper. In this way, he is very advanced, as he seems to be the first man on either side of his family to have learned how to do this.

[distantearlywarning]

33. When I was a kid

I got $10 a week allowance. For that money, I had to clean both family bathrooms and do about 3 hours of my parents' ironing a week. This was in addition to taking care of my pets, doing my own laundry, cleaning my room and other things that were my responsibility, but that I didn't get paid for. I had no other source of funds until I got a job at age 16, so it was generally worth my while to complete these chores.

Now I know my parents were getting slave labor (4 hours of work for $10? That's a steal!)

But at the time, it seemed like an ok deal to me.

And I learned how to clean and iron. And I was a contributing member of the household, instead of a little catered-to spoiled brat. And I learned that to get money to buy stuff you want, you have to do work first, a concept which has served me well in the "real world".

I don't have kids, but if I did, they would definitely be responsible for some chores. However, I would probably pay them a little more than my parents paid me. And some chores, of course, they would just have to do for free (washing their own clothes if they were old enough, taking care of their own pets, etc.)

[crim son]

35. Yup.

The three of them are required to keep their rooms relatively tidy with a deep-clean once weekly. The oldest two keep the kids' bathroom clean. My daughter is responsible for the kitten's litter and other care; my oldest son is responsible for the household garbage. The oldest two do the after dinner cleanup, plus they are required to clean any dishes they use during the day. My little guy helps with the dishes and garbage. All the kids must do outside work during the weekends when asked. Nobody gets an allowance. When the kids turn fifteen, they get a summer job and if they want spending money during the school year, they must work for that too.

[Chan790]

36. I wouldn't if I had kids

but I've always suspected that I'd be a horrible parent.

I mean I'm 26 and dropped out of grad school so I'd have more time to play DDR and FF VII. I tend to eat breakfasts of soy "ice cream", brownies, and candy. I live in a pig-sty. I'm not responsible. I'd never make anybody else do them because...I'd just have my own lack of chorliness thrown in my face.

I blame the self-esteem-based education system and my parents' lack of guidance. I didn't need to learn to feel good about me, I needed to learn consequences for lack of responsibility and that I can't skate on the basis of my 170IQ. Stick with the chores.