Hey there! 🙂 Ok, I never thought this would be a topic that I would have to cover because it has never crossed my mind that my kids would NOT have chores.
Now “chores” can mean different things to different people.
In our house, our 7-year-old is responsible for waking up to her alarm and getting herself ready for breakfast (this includes brushing her teeth, making her bed and getting dressed). She also sets the table before dinner, keeps her room clean, and picks up her toys when she is finished playing with them.
Our 15-year-old is responsible for cleaning her bathroom, emptying the dishwasher in the morning, washing her laundry, and some vacuuming. We’re still working on keeping her room clean. 😉
Both girls also have extra chores they could do to earn money. It’s their choice, but they love getting their hands on money, so we have no problem there!
However, after meeting quite a few parents who don’t believe in giving their children chores, I decided to create a poll.
I personally think that chores help children learn to take care of themselves as well as teaching them responsibility.
Download Your Weekly Chore Charts
These charts are great for motivating children to do their chores!
What do you think? Should kids have chores?
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I always did chores growing up. I am planning on making a chore chart for my 3 and 5 yr old for this summer. It will be great for them. Thanks for linking up with us at Family Joy Blog Link Up Party this week.
We always did chores growing up, in fact I can list them by day. Mondays – vacuuming, Tuesdays – dusting, Wednesdays -change the beds, Thursdays – clean the bathroom, Friday – vacuum again. Then on the weekends we did special things like rake the yard, paint the house, clean the cellar, but we always did them as a family…all of us pitched in. I think you have a wonderful schedule for your children and to offer money for extra chores is brilliant! I’m also an organize freak so I totally love you site!!
Hi Deb! Thanks so much for your comment! That’s so funny that you remember your chores from your youth! Great memories, I bet! 😉 I’m glad you love organizing as much as I do. Please stop by often! 🙂
I 100% agree with chores. Not only do kids need to learn responsibility but they also need to learn how to manage themselves. What we don’t do in our house is attach chores to pocket money – we keep these two things completely separate for a couple of reasons. Firstly, we use pocket money is a way to teach financial literacy. Secondly, I think there are things kids should have to do without being rewarded for it! I also recently wrote a post on kids and chores which you may or may not find interesting… http://pollyunsaturated.com/2015/09/10/a-parents-guide-to-getting-kids-to-do-chores/
Yes, to chores, although our kiddo usually doesn’t get paid to do them. It’s all part of being in a family. We all have responsibilities. We all work together.
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I have two brothers and we had 3 categories of chores, we’d switch out once a month. I can for sure tell you I hated every second I had to spend doing them, but now I already appreciate them. I know for sure they taught me valuable skills and lessons. It surprises me how some kids around my age (18) are starting to move into houses and they are unaware of how to perform the simplest tasks! I can barely tolerate the question anymore of how to do laundry!
That’s funny and sad at the same time. I guess their parents didn’t think it was important enough to teach them some important life skills. Now they will have to play catch up. Thanks so much for your comment!
Hey, guess what! I nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award on my blog 🙂 Congratulations! http://flickeringcandles.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/nomination-say-what/
My boys are starting K and PreK this week, and they are already big helpers. They don’t have any set chores, but when I ask them to do something, they are expected to follow through right away. At this age they can pick their own clothes, clean and set table, use hand vac, sweep, load dishwasher, fold clothes, and my 5yo even prefers to make his own breakfast and learn how to cook. Of course they don’t do every one of these things on a daily or even weekly basis, but I am always encouraging and thankful to them. We remind them that when everyone helps clean up, we have more time to play games together or other fun things. If they do a chore wrong, I try to take the time to positively show them the right or preferred way instead of going back and redoing it for them. Our hardest chore is room cleaning – that is the one I catch a lot of complaining about.
What helpful little boys! Great job! As far as keeping the room clean…sometimes it’s easier to just close the door! 🙂
well I had chores ( an A LOT more than mine have since I was raised on a farm) and it didn’t kill me and as much as my kids say it does it has not killed them! I have told my children life gives you nothing and if you want it you earn it. The do not get paid for doing chores( I don’t either!) but they can do extra stuff to earn money. Volunteering to work in the neighbors garden or mowing their yard or walking dogs will earn them spending money.
Earning money for doing work outside of the home is a great idea. I’ll have to implement that with my oldest daughter. Thanks for the great idea!
Some days I think chores will teach them more about living a productive life than anything they learn at school 😉 Mine are a bit young (3 and almost 2), but we encourage tidy-up-time at the end of the day and plan for them to help out more as they get older. I wish my parents had included me more in running the house – it’s taken years of discipline to learn to be even a half-decent homemaker!!
I agree! I’m trying to give my girls the head start I missed out on when I was growing up. Then they’ll be a lot further ahead. Thanks so much for your comment. 🙂
I think chores teaches responsibility but I don’t have any set chores for my 5 and 3 year old. But it will be things like putting the drying up away (plastic things only), washing up their own bowl/cup etc. Stripping their bed for me and putting the teddies back on when I’m finished. Sweeping, dusting and picking toys up in their room. I’ve found if I give them a chore chart they refuse to do them, but if I ask them to do at least one of things a day, they’re more likely going to do them without fussing. At the moment this way is working for us, but id bring a chore chart back if I have to.
Those are great chores to get the little ones helping. Thanks for sharing!
I am shocked to hear people say they don’t have their children do chores. I try not to call them chores but more of contributing to the house. Everyone in a household has a part. As long as everyone contributes the house should be clean and orderly. I love the concept of daily normal routines and chore then also added ones for a small allowance. I feel that teaching young ones to help with cleaning and work around the house prepares them for being a husband or wife to someone. I want my girls to grow up knowing how to clean a house, cook a meal for her family, take care of her yard, fix what is broken and be a contributor. It will not only help with family life when they are older but also with a job.
I totally agree! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
I feel a bit sad when I hear that people don’t give chores to their kids. Like they’re not allowing their children to learn valuable life lessons in a safe and non threatening way. It’s a fantastic and effective method of slowly transitioning them into ALL of life’s daily chores (errands, commitments, tasks, etc.). A lot of which we don’t have a choice in doing, but by learning, at an early age, that it’s just a part of life, can be the difference between a negative and positive attitude about “work” in general. Thanks for putting it out there 🙂
That’s a great way to look at it. I also thought it was sad and felt bad for the kids. Thanks so much for your comment!
deffo, my nearly 6 years old has chores and loves it, mainly because he gets some pocket money for it. Its great, it teaches not only the responsibility of household chores but also the value of money.
I couldn’t agree more. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
I am trying to be better about chores. I admit I tend to be a ‘easier to do it myself’ type which I know is not beneficial. To get ready for back to school we are doing 1) make bed 2) clean eyeglasses and put them on 3)brush teeth 4) 10 min add/subtr practice.
I can see your point. I also thought it was easier and quicker to do it myself. Now it frees me up to do other things and I know certain tasks will be completed by them. Thanks for your comment!
Oh my goodness, how could they not have chores? We’re ALL members of the household, children included. We all work towards the functioning of the household, age taken into consideration. They aren’t the king and queen and the parents their servants. It’s the parents job to teach their children how to look after themselves. Do you really want a kid moving out at 17 to university who doesn’t know how to clean a toilet? Or still believes in the laundry fairy?
LOL! That’s exactly what I’m thinking when I hear parents say they don’t believe in chores. I thought maybe I was missing something or being a mean mommy!
Having raised 3 children, who had plenty of friends, I KNOW my poor children always had to do chores and the friends huffed and puffed , jumping at the lit when my children will be finally finished. My suggestion for them to help fell on deaf was. Strange enough my 3 children are functioning members of society in their generation, while most ALL of their friends are on medication, are jobless, in jail, divorced, dead or otherwise impaired. Chores teach discipline, self-control and capability, self confidence and skill- all very important to make a personality instead of just a person.
Love it!! Makes me feel a whole lot better about this chores thing. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I have my six year old make her bed, do a bit of sweeping an on the weekends help with the laundry (switching the clothes from washer to dryer, helping me fold).
As she gets older she’ll get more chores. I agree that it helps them learn to take care of themselves and responsibility.
We’re on the same page! Thanks for your comment. 🙂