Its official I am an awful mum....

You do your child no favours by doing all of the work for them. As a parent, it is your responsibility to raise your kids to be self sufficient. And in order for them to learn how to do that, they need to do it. :) Learning to be responsible for their own things and areas are important, especially at 11yrs old. I started my boys in helping out around the house as soon as I could. We still have regular battles over getting the playroom cleaned up, but other "chores", they do without too much fuss. Things like putting laundry hampers in the basement, bringing them back up when the laundry is done, putting all their clothes away, putting all dirty dishes in the sink, putting out the trash and recylcing, etc. My boys are now 7, 7, and 8 1/2, and they've been doing most of these chores for a few years now. This week, I started teaching them how to use the washing machine and dryer. :D You are not being unreasonable by asking your daughter to do some chores. Just consider yourself a "normal" parent being so "awful". I'm sure you're mean too. And don't forget the famous one... "SO UNFAIR!!".

You're definitely in the right to ask her to help out some. Shamefully my kids probably fit into her friends category. They don't officially have chores and we only get on them about their rooms about once a month, and I often help. And yes, we have to fight to get them to do it too! When they are in a good mood though, they do sometimes help me with house cleaning or dishes. ~Tink

I refuse to tidy my kids rooms as this is their own personal space and they need to have some responsibility. This does however lead me to most days shouting at them to tidy up. My son just looks at me as if I am mad. One time I put all his mess in the middle of his floor and told him if he didn't tidy up I was going to get a large bin bag and clear it all up for him by visiting the rubbish bin!! I must say this was quite effective..lol

your not at all asking to much of her! at her age, my parents gave up on telling us (3 girls) to clean up our rooms. i had one sister who was obsessed with cleaning her room. me and my other sister HATED cleaning our rooms. i never did it. we soon learned that when friends came over to clean, without even being asked. it soon begins to be embarrassing to have a dirty room. even more so when boys start coming into the picture. the only time my parents yelled at us to clean our room was when company (extended family) was coming over or for holidays. now cleaning up the living room and kitchen, i would be much more forceful with that, because EVERYONE lives in those areas. i wish my parents were more forceful. now living on my own, and having a child of my own i know how hard it is to keep up with house hold chores. now when i go to my parents, and they arent home i like to surprise them by helping clean things up. do a load of laundry. i think nothing of it now, but when i was a teen GOD it was horrible! hahah

I'm 25, so I dont have kids of my own but have a very strong opinion on this one. When I was little I had chores. I still help around the house to this day, without being asked. By having this responsibility its made me who I am. I think a big problem with kids these days is they arent made to do chores, they have no respect for their parents or others. And I think chores and responsibilites form them into who they are. You are being a great mother by asking her to clean up her room.