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I have a 10 year old who is on work detail until attitude/grades change. I need help thinking of age appropriate chores. We have a list but need some more ideas. I do not want to be unreasonable but I want to drive the lesson home. This is one of those Mommy moments when it really does hurt you more than them... Thanks for your input! T
I have a 10 year old who is on work detail until attitude/grades change. I need help thinking of age appropriate chores. We have a list but need some more ideas. I do not want to be unreasonable but I want to drive the lesson home. This is one of those Mommy moments when it really does hurt you more than them... Thanks for your input! T
Anything you want him or her to do, excluding dangerous things. You're the parent so have at it.
Keeping his room clean! That was always hard for me. My punishment was that I had to keep my room clean for a month. Plus, unload the dishwasher and reload after dinner. Cook dinner and empty trash. Older sister had bathroom duty!!!!!
gather trash
vacuum
clean baseboards in the house (this is a good one! Who has time anymore?????)
toilets
polish silver
mop
dust
wipe down inside refrigerator
take up placement rugs and have him vacuum the underside(who has time for that?)
sweep the porch
wipe down microwave
My list is endless!! Send us pics of your sparkling home!!
I have a 10 year old who is on work detail until attitude/grades change. I need help thinking of age appropriate chores. We have a list but need some more ideas. I do not want to be unreasonable but I want to drive the lesson home. This is one of those Mommy moments when it really does hurt you more than them... Thanks for your input! T
Why are his attitude and grades bad? Ten is a little young for the typical teenage/hormonal mental fallout stuff, so he probably has a reason why he's got a bad attitude and isn't doing well in school. Will he tell you what's going on? Maybe he needs tutoring more than he needs punishment. Is he being hassled in school by some of the other kids? Does he feel bad about himself, and that's affecting his self-esteem and his school performance?
I'm not saying that being put on work detail is a bad thing. I'm just suggesting that a two-pronged (or multi-pronged) approach to the problem might work more effectively.
Why are his attitude and grades bad? Ten is a little young for the typical teenage/hormonal mental fallout stuff, so he probably has a reason why he's got a bad attitude and isn't doing well in school. Will he tell you what's going on? Maybe he needs tutoring more than he needs punishment. Is he being hassled in school by some of the other kids? Does he feel bad about himself, and that's affecting his self-esteem and his school performance?
I'm not saying that being put on work detail is a bad thing. I'm just suggesting that a two-pronged (or multi-pronged) approach to the problem might work more effectively.
I absolutely went there first but really he is just being a goofball and would rather socialize than study. He's not being overly punished I promise and there is no underlying problem (low self esteem or bullying). He loves his class and is a pretty grounded guy but school is lower on the list of priorities than friends, video games, books, just about anything! We are trying to get him to reprioritize his day so that what NEEDS to get done happens before what is FUN gets done. There were alot of discussions leading up to the work for priviledges program was instituted. He's a smart cookie. I'm confident he will figure this out ASAP.
Thanks for the suggestions. We have a long list but I'm looking for fresh ideas
what?!?!?! chores as puinishment? chores should be done regardless.
i would say age appropriate labor would include
sweeping, mopping, vaccuming, washing the dishes (or loading the washer which is the came nowadays), cleaning the toilet, scrubbing the shower, raking the leaves, cutting hte grass.
at 10 i and my brothers were doing plenty of chores around the house. and not because we were bad, but because we were taught responsibility.
my 8 y/o does this stuff. all kids can do this. at first they might do it half-assssed, but eventually they will get the hang of it.
We are trying to get him to reprioritize his day so that what NEEDS to get done happens before what is FUN gets done.
I think that's the trick - if there is one - structuring his day so that he has to do chore-type things before the fun...such as no TV until you have done your homework, no computer until you have stacked the dishwasher - it's like a bribe but is actually just a very sensible lesson in life.
Problem is that you have to be the one who is organised and remembering not to allow him to do the fun stuff without checking the chore is done first!
You also have to know what homework he has, what he needs to catch up with at school etc, so that it doesn't get left til Sunday night when he's tired and there's no time for the post-homework treat
So it doesn't matter what the chore is - it's getting yourself organised and staying on top of his structure and schedule that will make the difference.
It also doesn't hurt to sit him down and have a long but reasonable talk about what is expected of him in exchange for all his priviledges (TV, computer, $$ expenditure, your time running him around) all of which are removable should he not wish to pull his weight. They are rewards, not rights.
BTW Speaking here from bitter experience...
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Thanks for your input! T
