chores, at what age

United States
January 26, 2007 8:01pm CST
did you teach your child how to: wash dishes (by hand or dish washer) wash laundry cook vaccum does it differ in age if they are a boy or a girl?
6 people like this
10 responses
@ronita34 (3922)
• Canada
27 Jan 07
My children are still pretty young but nephew is 7 and he can actually wash and rinse the dishes and put them on the dish rack. He is actually rather independant though! I also get the kids to help pick up their toys and stuff!!!
@pudgles (414)
• United States
27 Jan 07
I come from a family of ten kids. when we were tall enough to reach the sink, then we were old enough to do the dishes as well as other chores. It is good to teach them chores at a young age, but remember, they are children and should enjoy being one as well, for now a days, they are in such a hurry to grow up. also with todays new technology and more to come, being a kid just might be no more.
2 people like this
• United States
10 Feb 07
My 4 year old and my 6 year old know how to put their plates in the dishwasher and once I take out all the steak knives they put the silverware away. I don't make them do it all the time. But the 4 year old feeds the kitties and the th 6 1/2 year old feeds the dogs. And when it is time to clean their rooms, they have to help me.
@biwasaki (1745)
• United States
10 Feb 07
I think it depends on the child and how much responsibility he/she can handle. My daughters are 4 and 2 right now. They are both expected to pick up and put away their toys when they are done playing with them. Also, my 2 year old usually throws away her own diapers after she gets a diaper change. *LoL* Other than that, they don't really have any chores around the house. My older daughter likes to help with little things, like putting mail in the mailbox or bathing herself...but that's not really considered a chore.
@denden (802)
• Philippines
27 Jan 07
i am single but when i am a child i love to do household chores and i always help my parents doing them even if they dont want me to do that because i am too young but i still do and watch. i learn household chores by myself by observing they're doings and by that i absorb it and analyze it by myself. and i am proud to tell you all that.
• New Zealand
10 Feb 07
My 7 year old empties the dishwasher usually once a day. He tidys his room, puts his clothes away with help. He helps with his younger siblings(makes them toast occasionally that sort of thing)He even folded up some towels off the washing line for the first time today. He gets paid $5 a week pocket money. He also vacuums his room because he likes to use the the vac lol, thats the one household cleaning tool everyone fights over and wants to use. We even have tears over whose turn it is to use the dyson vac! The 2 yr old helps his brother get plastic items from the dishwasher to put away. Puts his dirty clothes in the wash basket, cleans up after himself with the handee towels if he spills his drink and is expected to throw his rubbish away(i.e empty chip packets,banana skins etc)in the rubbish bin when he is finished eating. I also help him tidy his room each night before bed. The youngest at 16 months has already learnt from her siblings to put her shoes away out the door when someone has taken them off for her, to put her banana skins etc in the rubbish bin and to pick her toys up and put them in the toy box when its tidy up time. Children like to copy and like to help so let them do things that make them feel like they are contributing even if its just something little and maybe not done right :)
@pumpkinjam (8770)
• United Kingdom
31 Jan 07
I think it depends on the individual child. My youngest (he's 19 months) sometimes helps me put the washing in the machine, but he doesn't really understand what he's doing so I won't ask him to do it, he just decided one day that he was going to do that. But when he is a little bit older, when I think he understands properly, I might aske him to load the machine. My older son started helping me out when he was about 2 I think. That was partly because he wanted to and partly because there were times when I wanted to get to play with him but couldn't get everything else done so I got him to help and then we could be doing something together and have more play time. He is now 7 and offers to do things like vaccuuming, and I will ask him to dry some of the dishes. I think if a child is capable of helping in any way, get them to help, but just don't force them, and don't give them too much to do at once. I have been lucky because I have children who will volunteer to help but I ask my 7 year old to tidy up a bit if I'm doing something else. And there are different tasks which some will be ready for before others. Neither of my kids can reach the sink so I won't get them to wash dishes. I taught my 7 year old to make a sandwich when he was 2, I taught him to make cakes when he was 2, and I showed him how to dry dishes as soon as he was tall enough. But he's still not allowed to use the cooker. I think most good parents will know when their kids are ready to help and how much they can do.
@design (849)
• Ireland
10 Feb 07
My Kids are 1,6 & 7 yrs. They all put away their toy after themselves we sing (yes that horrible barney song) now granted the 1 yr old empties his toys directly after we all clean them up, but we have to start somewhere. The two older ones help dry the dishes, and put their dirty laundry into the wash basket, and feed their cat, they do offer the odd time to sweep (they still make more of a mess) But their offer is never refused. My 1 yr old loves to empty the washing machine - meaning he pulls all the washing out of the machine leaves it on the floor in a heap them proceeds to close the door and press on. aaaaagh sometimes he changes the settings too so the machine can run for up to 2hrs with nothing in it.
@happymommy3 (2012)
• United States
31 Jan 07
I have a 7, 5, and 3 year old. They all have to clean their rooms. Like pick up there toys, stuff and put it in their place. They all also help me take the trash bags out of the rooms and put new ones in. They see me clean so they want to help out. Not all the time, lol! But I think if they're at the age where they can pick up toys in their rooms and make a mess they should be able to do small chores around the house like picking stuff up. My oldest helps wash the dishes once in a while but I don't expect her to clean them spotless but she's still young and learning.
• Canada
31 Jan 07
i introduced a chore chart to my daughter when she was two years old. she was still at the age where they want to help out and to feel grown up so i thought this was the best time to introduce chores to keep her excited about it. of course it had to be sinple things and most of the chores where things that we did together. so she would get a star if she put her clothes in the dirty laundry hamper. and if she picked up her toys. and the harder stuff was if she helped with laudry, her job was to put the stuff in the machine with my supervision and transfer it to the dryer. she also helped out by drying dishes. she's 3 and a half now and still enjoys her chores.