Chores: Do Your Kids Have To Do Them?
By Malyck
@Malyck (3425)
Australia
October 12, 2007 1:22am CST
I am just wondering at what age your children start doing chores (if at all), and what sort of tasks they have to do? Why?
Besides cleaning their rooms, my boyfriend's younger siblings also have to help with the washing up and drying up, wiping/clearing the table and folding their own clothes to put away.
They are 7 and 10 and have both been doing this since about 5 or 6.
I feel that these are important tasks that they should learn to do early on - life skills that will be necessary to look after themselves when they move out on their own and such.
If they do a good job and don't argue, they also get a small amount of pocket money or a special treat.
So what about you and your kids?
And even when you were a child? What did you have to do around the home?
3 people like this
15 responses
@peanutjar (5198)
• Canada
12 Oct 07
Hi malyck!Hope all is well.I do not put chores on my daughter.Instead she asks if she can help or do something,and shes only 4 1/2 years old,hahaha.When she sees that im starting to do something,she will come ask if she can help.So sweet.She really enjoys taking the dishes out of the dish washer.putting clothes in the wash machine,vacumming(shes quite good at that),dusting and so.Sometimes when she sees that something needs to be cleaned she goes ahead and does it,ike putting soap in the dish washer and starting it for me.Every friday is "her"payday and we go choose a toy or something that she wants,something small.Shesspoiled all the time anyway,hehehehehe.My boyfriend hates cleaning and last night he said"i dont know why she likes to clean,its weird".I call her "mommys little helper".;)My grandmother cleaned and would not let me touch any cleaning item,she wanted to do it herself,hahaha.No problem!!:)
@peanutjar (5198)
• Canada
13 Oct 07
Lol.Well if thats the case then he always looks bad,haha.He hates it.He runs when he sees me start cleaning.I cant even get him to take out the garbage.The bag can be full and he will shove something in there and see its full,but never take out the bag.He at leasts put the big garbage can by the road and then when he comes home he says"you didnt bring the garbage can up the dooryard?"I become quite excitable and let it out by saying"its your job,you have nothing else to do in the house.So it should be yours,i pick up your under wear!!".Grrr.My daughter tells him to pick stuff up when she sees it and he actually listens to her,funny eh?!:)
@Malyck (3425)
• Australia
13 Oct 07
That's SO adorable!
It's really great that she has a taste for cleaning and is so helpful.
I wouldn't consider her reward day a spoiling, either, as she sounds darling =D
(or is she like me and has terrible tantrums? =P)
I love your boyfriend's comment!
I bet he's just worried she makes him look bad. LOL
1 person likes this
@Malyck (3425)
• Australia
13 Oct 07
Ahaha, that's so cute that he listens to her - and that she tells him what to do.
Good on her - I like this kid =D
I'm lucky that I have a man who isn't the cleanest of blokes, but will do things such as take out the empty garbage bag (even if he doesn't put a new one in =P) or is happy to 'get around to' some chores if I ask him to.
Lol.
1 person likes this
@roniroxas (10560)
• Philippines
12 Oct 07
yes, sine they were toodlers i always ask them to help me with chores, now that they are all teens they are very helpful around the house im so proud of them. they vcan even cook
@Malyck (3425)
• Australia
12 Oct 07
That's really great, especially since they're teens and are still happy to help, too many parents it seems start to give their kids these responsibilities at age 10 up, when they want to talk back and argue - having had your children helping from an early age is great for everyone, I think.
=D
How often do they cook?
When I lived at home, my sister and I would cook one night a week permanently, as well as any other time we wanted to.
@roniroxas (10560)
• Philippines
12 Oct 07
everyday we have schedules on who will ook rice and wash the dishes, but i am the one who cooks because they are busy at school and homeworks. but during weekend they cook. so that would be saturday and sunday. it would be like a day off for me.
@ajrox1810 (992)
• India
12 Oct 07
I Learnt to do my tasks myself at the age of 11-12.I could even cook some food in case I was hungry.Actually I learnt everything by myself.
@thefriendlyghost (68)
• Canada
12 Oct 07
When I was a kid, my mom just had me do the chores she didn't want to do herself, lol. Like washing the dishes or cleaning the bathroom. It wasn't so I could better myself or earn an allowance. It was just because she didn't want to do it herself.
@thefriendlyghost (68)
• Canada
14 Oct 07
I guess you're right lol. My roommate's parents did everything for him and he doesn't know how to do anything. He always seems surprised when you teach him something like that. You know how when you are cleaning out the sink after doing the dishes and you run the water but you leave the plug half in so all the crud gets caught in the plug instead of in the drain? I told him to leave the plug half in and he said "really??" all surprised like. Instead of doing things the normal way he just buys stuff. For example, instead of leaving the plug half in he bought some drain strainer things but they got too clogged up and didnt work anymore and were impossible to clean so we had to throw them out. The other one is instead of throwing his dirty dishcloths into the laundry, he bought an "anti bacterial" dishcloth which is supposed to not harbour any bacteria provided you let it dry after each use. The thing is, he leaves it crumpled up in the corner of the sink so it never actually gets dry. He's completely hopeless!
@shooting_star (384)
• Philippines
13 Oct 07
When I was younger, I was taught how to wash dishes, set the table, make my bed and clean up after myself. Now that I'm an adult, I also cook a bit, do the laundry, clean the bathroom and stuff like that.
My younger sister is the one who has to set the table now and wash the dishes. My younger brother takes out the trash.
I think it really is a good idea to have kids help out with chores early on. I don't have kids yet but I when I do have them, I'd want them to help out and maybe give them some sort of reward if they don't complain and they do a good job.
@Ravenladyj (22902)
• United States
12 Oct 07
I actually had my kids helping me around the house when they were 2 and 3 1/2...I made a game out of it..they didnt have a lot to do mind you just things like pick up their toys, help set and clear the table etc...LOL nowdays though, getting them to clean sometimes is like pulling teeth from a really moody croc LOL. I shouldnt say that, sometimes they do tick me off but for the most part they arent bad and I'm at fault too since I dont hound them every day ya know...Though I should :-/...
At 12 and 14 my kids have to put away their laundry, do the dishwasher, feed the animals, pick up in their tv room, set/clear the table...and sometimes i get them to help with the cooking and the laundry as well
@raijin (10345)
• Philippines
12 Oct 07
I don't have kids yet, but as the eldest of three siblings I learned to do these chores to help my parents. My father worked abroad, while my mom is the only one left to look for us. As the eldest, I believe that it is my duty to help my mother in the best way I could during that time.
We came from a poor family, with no enough money to fees pay for domestic helpers. I found out that it did made me well-aware of what life for me in the future would become, as it does made sense as I grew up. I didn't rely much help on my parents and do the things/chores that I believe I can handle already, though we don't get any extra payment coming from them!;) It helped to be a better person, something that I can proudly say I'm more accomplished than those other people who still rely on help coming from others.
@biwasaki (1745)
• United States
12 Oct 07
My girls are 3 and 4, and they do have simple household chores to do. Both are expected to pick up after themselves. The older one will also take our dog (a chihuahua/shih tzu) out to do her business, and the younger one will usually tag along. Sometimes she even takes the dog out herself! They are also expected to clear their dishes from the table after eating, this means scraping leftovers into the trash and putting their dishes in the sink.
I think a few chores here and there will teach them responsibility. I don't want them to grow up thinking that they don't have to contribute to the household.
@Sharon38 (1912)
• Jamaica
12 Oct 07
My daughter has her dresser and her clothes to deal with. When i have to do the laundry I ask her to sweep the house and do the dusting which she does very well.
She has been helping with chores since one year old. She was always in everything and I foudn it quite funny although I would fix and she pulls. I think she grew with that attitude and she still pulls when I fix but when she sees my expression she hurriedly fixes back whatever she has pulled. I really appreciate her help though it does makes a difference.
@marylouu69 (297)
• United States
12 Oct 07
Yes children should help with chores. Age 5 should be helping to load the dishwasher, and pushing around a vaccum, things that are not hard to do. I have 7 children and I have taught them all to do chores. No they don't like to do them but I make them anyway LOL !
@buteteth_1301 (19)
• Philippines
12 Oct 07
my mom and dad taught us to be a responsible person. and the first test for us is the household chores. doing chores can help a child to become responsible.they dont need to be told to do this and do that if they learn to do it. and if they know that they should do it. now even without them beside us we can cook our own food, wash and iron our own clothes, clean the house.and everything. if you are a parent i suggest that train them now while they are young. because when they grow up it is hard to train a hard headed child.
@milkfish (371)
• Philippines
12 Oct 07
My mom taught me and my siblings simple household chores at a young age. We learned to wash the dishes even before we learned to write our names. Each of us was assigned certain tasks that we need to accomplish in a day. She needs extra hand at home and it is also one way of disciplining us. We really have learned the value of working and not to be a sloth. This is the same example I would like to teach my kid. As early as now, I train her to be responsible enough to organize and keep her toys in their proper place after playing. If she is already 6 year old, I will teach her more simple chores. These are simple skills that will taught her the right values in life in the future.
