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EDIT- oops- this was put in wrong subforum....not sure how to move.... sorry mods.
I didn't want to highjack another thread, but some of the comments made me wonder what chores kids are required to do. And, as things tend to do on this site, I am guessing it may be controversial! My mom thinks that I have my kids do too many. They are:
13 year old- walks dog, cleans kitchen, takes out trash, cleans (sort of) kids' bathroom
9 year old- puts groceries away, sets table for dinner, feeds dog & cat, cleans guest bath
Both- carry in groceries, do most of their laundry
I am proud of them in that I rarely have to remind them. But how do I get them to clean their rooms?!
Last edited by Magnolia Bloom; 02-07-2007 at 04:33 PM..
Reason: seeking forgiveness for wrong subforum
With my older son, I just basically had to give up on the bedroom. I shut the door.
But it was funny: later when we visited him in college, he had his house sparkling clean for us. (I tried not to think too much about what it had looked like before. That kid is never going to be Mr. Clean.)
Meanwhile, his younger brother periodically tidies up his bedroom without me saying anything.
My kids have never had quite as many chores as hereinfla's, but they are similar: take out trash, help with our pets, laundry, empty the dishwasher, help with cooking.
EDIT- oops- this was put in wrong subforum....not sure how to move.... sorry mods.
I didn't want to highjack another thread, but some of the comments made me wonder what chores kids are required to do. And, as things tend to do on this site, I am guessing it may be controversial! My mom thinks that I have my kids do too many. They are:
13 year old- walks dog, cleans kitchen, takes out trash, cleans (sort of) kids' bathroom
9 year old- puts groceries away, sets table for dinner, feeds dog & cat, cleans guest bath
Both- carry in groceries, do most of their laundry
I am proud of them in that I rarely have to remind them. But how do I get them to clean their rooms?!
Wow, that's a lot! I don't think a 9 year old should be doing his/her own laundry. They need to be a 9 year old. Everything else sounds pretty reasonable as long as it isn't cleaning the kitchen every night? Rotate with mom and dad and that way everyone chips in.
Best way to get a kid to clean her/his room - Tell her/him that s/he can have a friend overnight but first the clean the room. And who knows, maybe the overnight guest will be a neat freak and that's just icing on the cake.
That is really impressive, especially with cleaning the bathroom and kitchen. Also cleaning the kitchen seems like a chore that ought to be shared. I don't have kids yet, but I am all for kids doing chores. It teaches them good habits, and to be independent. How to get kids to clean their rooms? Beats me...from my experience working in group homes with adolescents, I know some kids do better if they straighten up/clean a little daily, and others do better if they let things go all week, and then do a good once a week cleaning.
The deal I have on cleaning the kitchen is that if the dishwasher gets emptied after school, we all put our dishes in and I do the pots and pans from cooking. If it isn't emptied, then we can't put our dishes in, so he must do it (consequences).
And about the clothes (do I sound defensive?! ) is that they use a towel once and then throw it in the dirty clothes. So I told them that I only had time to do so much laundry and they shouldn't be using a towel only once, so they would have to do their clothes. I figure that doing their own laundry is a choice that they make.
I work at a teen shelter and am always amazed at how tidy the kids are. Of course, they don't have as much stuff, but even things like socks and shoes aren't all over their rooms. I go with the close-the-door route for my kids.
Their bedtime is 9pm. IF they have their teeth brushed and are in bed and ready for me to say their prayers by 9pm, I ALLOW them to read for half an hour- haha! They both love to read, so it is a carrot that they really go for.
With my daughter who is 12, I just ask her to pick up after herself, and some times I have to remind her. I guess some days she can help me all day, and other days she tends to do her own thing.
For the most part her school work and picking up after herself is all I ask, other then helping out with the two Yorkies. She is a really great kid, and is on the B honor roll so I am very proud of her.
Their bedtime is 9pm. IF they have their teeth brushed and are in bed and ready for me to say their prayers by 9pm, I ALLOW them to read for half an hour- haha! They both love to read, so it is a carrot that they really go for.
But reading shouldn't be something that is "ALLOWED". Reading should be encouraged and admired and time given freely for it! I'd rather my daughter read than wash a few extra towels. Just my opinion and I know everyone is different. But in a world where kids are addicted to video and TV and food, when kids love to read, let them read all they want but not as a reward for getting chores done.
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