Chores - Rochester,MN

How about having him take garbage out, vacuum or dust, . Of coarse home work, cleaning his room and making his bed should be a given. How about him drying the dishes that you have washed?

have him take out the trash and sweep. He can fold and put away his laundry, my 3 and 5yr old does that. He is not old enough to do a well job at washing clothes. Wait till he is 9. Also assist him in the begining to get him on a role.

Hi B.,
My kids are 10 and 14, and yes, I think it is a bit much to expect a six year old to do laundry! I wouldn't trust a child that age to operate my washing machine.
When my kids were six, they made their own beds, fed the pets, maybe put their folded laundry away. They set the table, cleared their own plates/silverware/etc and unloaded the silverware from the dishwasher.
For my kids, allowance was spending money, which I considered them entitled to. It has never been tied to chores in any way. In our family, chores are not a way to make money and it's not optional to do them. We see it as everyone in the family must do work to keep the household running, everyone must contribute. Husband and I don't get paid for the work we do here at home so our kids don't either.

My daughters are 7 and 6 and they have chores that they do everyday. My 7 year old does the laundry she only folds the jeans and mates the socks but it says me hours, she also sweeps the hardwood floors and is to keep her room clean. My 6 year old daughter empties the dishwasher refills it and starts it. She also is to vacumm the floors and rugs and to also keep her room clean. Then on saturdays we all clean and empty the garbages even my three year old son does chores. Good luck to you.

I guess I am out of the norm in regards to chores and allowance. There are certain chores such as picking up our toys, setting the table, taking out the garbage that are normal family chores and are not be paid for doing. I always said that my children are part of the family and they hold certain responsibilities and shouldn't be paid for doing them. I never gave my children allowance but if they had down all their chores then when the time came once a month or so then they were able to pick something out that they wanted. This way they ar showing family responsibility and still able to reep the rewards of doing a good job. Having raised both of children this way and once they got a job outside the home they understand the concept and still knew they had to certain chore as a family responsibility. BTW they both have savings accounts that I would never have thought of having at their age. At age 6 I don't believe laundrey is a good chore as dealing with detergents and fabric softeners could be harmful. Try picking up toys, setting & clearning the table and emptying the dishwasher. Being a parent means getting the rotten side of things at time and being taken advantage of it one of them, it is all part of parenting.

Back in Laura Ingalls Wilder's time, and even further back, six year olds had plenty more work to do than six year olds of today. I have two five year old boys. They have chores to do, and they don't get paid to do them. They are members of this household, and they need to do their fair share.
They have to keep their bedroom and playroom clean all the time. I don't help them put their toys away at all anymore. We have a wood stove, and their job with that is to stack wood up next to it. They also help me pick up around the house. Things like garbage, dirty dishes, dirty laundry, things that just aren't where they should be.
They have to take dirty laundry from the bathroom downstairs to the laundry room upstairs. They can put laundry in the washer, but I don't let them start it. They can also take clothes out of the dryer and put them in a basket. I don't have them fold their own clothes, but they do have to put them away neatly, where they belong, in their dresser. And I don't let them do the dishes all by themselves. I've had them help me rinse before. When I have had them wash, I just go behind them and wash them later. I don't let them wash breakable dishes or sharp knives.
At this age, it's not so much about doing a good job with everything, but learning how to do it. Eventually, they will get better at it. Also, my boys have to clean off the table after dinner and underneath it, if they've made a mess. I'm all for kids having chores. It's important for them later in life. Not just in learning how to do it for when they live alone, but it teaches them not to depend on everyone to do things for them. And as he gets older, you can give him more chores. I really think it's important for them to have just as much work time as play time. Hope this helped you. Good luck!

I have a 6.5 yr old girl and my son is about to turn 5 and daughter gonna turn 3 in a week. My 2 oldest fold their own laundry and put it away. (i'm not that picky of how neat it goes in the dresser just that they do it themselves) They also clean up their toys and keep their room clean and vacuum it. They take the dishes out of the dishwasher and put the dishes away. At dinner time they put the plates etc on the table and after they are done they scrape off whatever on their plate into garbage can and put their dirty dishes into the sink. They help dad in garage with whatever, putting tools away, sweeping etc. My almost 3 year old folds kitchen towels and rags and puts them away, helps with cleaning up toys and I fold her laundry but show her where her clothes go in her dresser but she puts them in there. I think its just fine what they do but I hear alot telling me that is too much for them to do and I don't think so. They wear the clothes and they eat and they play with the toys so they can help. I will not pay them for it.

I don't think there is any magic formula or perfect way to do chores and allowance. I think every family just needs to try things out and do what works for them. But I do think you are right to expect your son to contribute in some way.

My 8,7, and 4 year old have the same chore chart, but I do have to help my 4 year old with a few of the chores. The 8 and 7 year old haven't had any problems, and I started this when the younger was 6.

Garbage: Take small can garbages to the big can in the garage. Take big can out on garbage day. (It's on rollers with a handle and they get help if there is snow or it's raining.)

Clean up room, make bed, clean up basement play room.

Pack lunch for school.

Shovel the walkway after it snows. (About 15 feet.)

Make breakfast, set table for dinner, clear dirty dishes, unload dishwasher and put dishes away. (We keep kid friendly dishes in low cupboards.)

Wipe off dining table and sweep dining room.

Wipe off kids' bathroom sink and counter.

Put own dirty clothes in laundry baskets (sorting "whites" and "colors" into seperate baskets,) put own clean clothes in drawers and closet.

I plan to add a few more this summer when school lets out. It will most likely be dusting, vacuuming own room, cleaning own bathroom mirror, wiping down kitchen counters and sweeping kitchen, and loading the dishwasher.

I think the biggest issue with having a 6 year old do laundry is managing the soap and reaching and setting the dials. They would also have to be taught to check pockets. I didn't plan to add that chore until my kids were a little older. Also, we do loads by color, not by person, so they would have a laundry day of the week and not just do their own laundry.

I pay my kids $2.50 a month ($2 to keep, $0.25 or 10% each to tithing and savings.) I think how much they get depends a lot on the family and what they are expected to pay for. My kids don't get a lot because they are just allowed to blow that money on whatever they want. They get enough money, however, that they are very generous with saving up their "mad money" to give small gifts to everyone in the family for birthdays and Christmas. I think there is a balance between giving too much so they don't understand or appreciate the value of money and giving too little so they hoard. I found an amount that worked for my family, but every family is different. As they get into middle school, they will get larger allowances to cover new school clothes, school sports fees, etc. But they also will be doing bigger chores like lawn mowing, snow blowing, etc.

Both my kids contribute to ALL the household chores but I don't pay them to do it. I expect them to do it! =-) My 12 y/o basically can do everything and does it well without being asked. My 4 y/o helps set the table for meals, helps clear the table (he takes his dishes to the sink), helps sort laundry and he's responsible for putting his dirty clothes in his hamper, helps carry grocery bags in the house, puts groceries away (easy stuff of course), he even loves to mop the floor, as well as keeping all his toys where they belong. He helps Dad with yard work, washing the cars (his favorite) and keeping the garage in order. Of course everything my 4 y/o does is made kid friendly and supervised if you know what I mean. At his age it's all about learning how to do the chores and he actually helps without having to ask him. When he helps with laundry I hold him up to put stuff in the washing machine and let him pour in the soap, when making his bed he lays the blankets on his bed but I tuck them in…stuff like that. When he & my daughter set the table, my daughter is in charge of the glasses, dishes, knives. My son will set his cup, the mats, napkins and salt/pepper.

Laundry and folding it, is to me, a bit much. They can't fold clothes perfectly yet, nor put them away nicely, like how we would want.

Just dusting, wiping tables, putting away toys, putting their shoes away, neatening up their room, helping you in the kitchen putting away utensils etc.

As for him taking you for granted, you talk to him. Tell him what FAMILY is, and that we ALL have a "role" in that... helping each other. And that HE is a part of the family or not. Nurturing respect and HIS "role" in the family. He can get his own things too, to eat. My daughter makes her own cereal and gets her own drinks and helps her brother too. She even can warm up stuff in the microwave. But you have to teach them. Don't assume they know how. My daughter, even though she is 7 now... didn't even know where the bowls were in the kitchen. Even though I "assumed" she knew. So once I explained to her, (not lecturing), but made it fun, she didn't mind and feels proud about being "responsible" about it.

All the best,
Susan

You know, I think there are probably a lot of people who think 6 is too young to do laundry, but if a child is more mature than their age, I say go for it. My girls, 4 and 6, don't do their own laundry, but they have to put dirty clothes in the hamper, and fold their own clean laundry and put it away in the proper drawers or hang it in their closet. They don't do dishes, but they know dirty dishes go in the sink. They have to make sure the dog has water at all times, and feed him at 5pm every day. They MUST keep their room clean when they aren't playing in there. They also help out by sweeping the hardwood floors, and empty the garbage bags in the bedrooms and bathroom when it's needed. There are a whole bunch of other things they do too... but they do NOT get an allowance, not yet anyway. Like one of the other mom's said, we don't get paid to clean up after ourselves, and I don't feel like the children should either. If you are trying to teach him the value of a dollar, instead of an allowance, open his own bank account, and deposit the money in that. Instead of thinking your 6 year old is taking you for granted, teach him the value of being thankful for the things YOU do for him, and in turn, show thanks for the chores he does around the house. Right now, the only REAL job your 6 year old should have is excelling in school. And remember, practice makes perfect... if your son isn't doing a spectacular job at the tasks you give him to do, stick with it, talk him through it (don't do it for him)... he'll get it eventually! I applaude you for giving your child responsibility... I've been trying to get my boyfriend to clean up after himself for YEARS ;)

It will take a bit of work on your part but start by giving him a sponge and you take a sponge and you teach him how to clean the bathroom, the kitchen, the bedroom, etc. THey learn by doing and being shown how to do it correctly. I paired my youngest with my 2nd and she taught him how to do the task, by the time he was 7 he was pretty good at bathrooms and picking up stuff. He still has some issues with dishes though and I find it easier to do them and he dries and puts away. He just turned 9.

Good for you for instilling chores and getting organized before you do it! I grew up in a family of 6 and there was enough work to go around for EVERYONE! I had no idea that others never had to do chores or even knew how to clean a house until I had roommates in college. What an eye opener!

Please take the time and show your children how to do each step of a chore and possibly even make a "to-do" sheet that states each step or shows it with a picture. That will help keep the child on task and keep the results consistent.

Give them a chance to try any of the chores and you'll soon find out what they can and can't do. Don't under-estimate them, kids are great helpers. Regardless of allowance or not, you should have a checks and balances system in place to help your child "see" what he is doing right and how well he is doing.

It drove me nuts growing up that I did my chores and my brothers barely bothered with theirs and the feedback/punishment was so inconsistent among all of us.

If you do decide to do an allowance, consider a portion going to savings, a portion going to donation/tithing, and portion to spend at will. Yet another lesson I wish I would have had growing up!

Just my two cents! Good luck and HAVE FUN! I think a family that does family chores together can turn it into a fun day. Call me crazy!

I think chores depend a lot on two things: one, your willingness to accept how well or poorly your child will get the work done (Does your child know how to sort, work the washer/dryer, fold, put away? If it's not done well enough, will you be upset? Is it more work for you to supervise all of this, or can he do it independently?) and two, your child's willingness to participate. If your son loves doing laundry, and would MUCH prefer laundry to anything else, then it's time to teach laundry. I personally have found that if I have to oversee my 5 year old's chores, they become suddenly much more difficult--for me to enforce, for him to do...and then they don't get done because I just end up doing them myself. Now we have chores that he prefers, but that are still helpful to the continuing of our household. We remind him frequently, but he does the chores willingly. The things he's not so willing? Those will wait a year or more until he can truly understand. Right now, he's still working on personal responsibility (I have to clean up my space at dinner before I can eat, and that does not mean shoving it all to dad's space!), but even if he were 50% more responsible for HIS stuff it would help the household immensely! Anyway, if you're willing to bend a little, I don't think 6 is too young for laundry. If it works for you, go for it!

My stepson is 9 and daily/weekly he is responsible for cleaning his room, making his bed everyday, putting his own clothes away, cleaning his bathroom, setting & clearing the dinner table, and garbages. Outside of these standard things, he also helps with the vaccuming and dusting sometimes. He does not get allowance for these things, as we feel that as a part of our family, you need to do your part to help out. We all live here and we all need to pitch in and help. There are other things above this list that he can do to earn money. Hope this helps.

as for the laundry - my mom's theory was always that as soon as we could reach the knobs on the washer and dryer, we started doing our own laundry. i think i was about your son's age, maybe a little older, when i started doing my own.