Chores - Madison Lake,MN

My daughter is 28 and a mom now. I gave her chores to 4th grade that I paid her for with allowance. Before then she was responsible for keeping her room neat and cleaning up her toys, etc but at 4th grade she dusted, ran the vacuum and electric broom, cleaned glass tables and mirrors. It was great training for her and saved me time. I was working full-time and still am. Now I'm a grandma and she's a great mom. Her little boy is only 28 months so a ways from chores but I don't regret the responsibility she learned.

I started my almost 4 year old daughter at around 2. The tasks she is in charge of are certainly not things that are neccessity, but are important enough for her to see instant gratification. We have a shoe cupboard with cubbies for each pair of shoes. We usually just toss them in front of it, but everyonce in a while, when the shoe pile is too huge to walk around, she puts them away. Many times, shoes are not put together, but I don't care...and I won't re-do her work either. She is also in charge of cleaning her room, and picking up her toys. My vacuuming helped get that notion to stick for fear of the vacuum sucking up all her toys. She brings her dishes to the sink after every meal and helps me bring the food to the table when it's ready to serve, like the basket of rolls, or plate of pancakes, etc. She will help set the table too. She's getting so good at her chores that she is starting to pick things up on her own, like the kitty's dishes (they get a little treat everyday so we end up with 3 little dishes on the floor) she's been picking those up and bringing them all to the sink without my even asking her to. :) We're on a marble system so she gets a big marble for that job. Some jobs she gets a marble...especially if it's done without my asking her. Some chores, she is expected to just do without a reward, and she knows that now, and some jobs (like the shoe job) she gets a big marble, or 2 marbles, I leave that choice to her.

You can syart to assign chores as ealy as 2. Having them pick up toys or put their laundry in a basket is just fine. Start with having them help you around the house. Dishes, picking up books, and dusting. Easy chores. Make it fun. Play music and dance around. Make a game. Not a chore .Good luck

I have a 2 year old and we've been giving him small things to do since he's been able to follow simple instructions. we ask him to throw things away, to put certain things back, to grab us things.

For the last few months he helps us pick up his toy area before bedtime stories. He knows if he doesn't help us pick up the area he doesn't get to play with whatever toy is the messiest one the next day. For example, if the ball pit balls are all over the place, he knows if he doesn't help pick up, they get locked in the guest room the next day. He understands and if he chooses not to help, he knows the next day why he's they are not out and he's fine with it.

I just asked this a few weeks ago and got some awesome responses.

My daughter is 6 and I just started to have her really help around the house, load dishwasher, load/unload washer-dryer, sweep, put new garbage bag in, dust. I was really worried about my daughter hating chores, and resenting them and I was given the advise to make it fun, let her have her own cleaning supplies, let her pick them out at the store, work along side with her etc.. It's worked like a charm, I always ask her nicely if she wants to do something and she usually jumps at it, I don't force her to or demand her to and we don't have a chore chart or anything like that it it's very free flowing type of thing, if something needs to be done I'll give her a choice or she'll actually beg and plead "can I please vaccum" the vaccum is tricky she isn't quite strong enough to work it. She thinks scrubbing the toliet with the toliet brush is the coolest thing in the world go figure.

I'd say at age 3 start simple and work your way up. Maybe his job could be real simple like putting away the clean spoons from the dishwasher, after he master's that move him to both spoons and forks. Prehaps he could go get a garbage bag when you take the garbage out and you could work together to put a new bag in til he can do it himself. Just stuff like that. Buy him a duster and let him go crazy, at that age my daughter loved wet washcloths and would walk around the entire house washing things.

The hardest part for me was letting go and letting my daughter go at it, I always felt she wouldn't do a good enough job and I'd have to redo it anyways so why bother but to my surprise with practice I'm not really having to redo her cleaning jobs.

I also don't pay my daughter or anything. I don't feel I should pay her to help around the house she lives in. I think that get's into power struggle and then they are only doing chores for money and not because they want to contribute to their family and home. My daughter get's plenty of gratification by doing a good job and getting praised and seeing for herself how much a little help really helps. We can spend more time together. I'll actually make commments like wow since there is nothing else to clean what should WE do?

I did take her to toys r us this weekend and let her pick out a toy, which was a surprise. This was a unplanned outing I told her this was for all her help lately, good parent teacher confrence the other day and behaving and listening at both home and school. I don't plan to do this on a regular basis just occasionally when I feel she deserves it.

Another idea is to check out www.thehousefairy.org. They have some free stuff including a list of chores kids can do in order by age.

My boys have been emptying the diswasher of the stuff that goes in the cupboards they can reach: pots, pans, flatware, plastic containers, their special plates, bowls and cups, etc. They have done this since they were able to walk and talk. They don't get stickers, money, or marbles...just a big hug and smile with a thank you...and a feeling of doing something that helped Mommy. More often than not, because of their help, I have more time for/with them to play a game or read a book, etc.

I replied to another mom on this issues not too long ago, so I don't want to sound like a broken record. Please check it out as there were a lot of suggestions made...not just by me, either! :)

Good luck, and whatever you have them do, make it fun -- that's the secret to having them help over and over again. :)

Hi. I have two boys. My oldest started doing chores around the age of 4-5. My youngest who is 3 does chores now to. within reason. He helps clean up dirty laundry, toys and trash.

actually your oldest can start wiping the table, help with sweeping, vaccuming...you will have to do hand over hand but he can help you out with those things. You can start with little things.

I have four children and I made the mistake of waiting until my first two were 5 or 6 before expecting them to do chores. It was hard to get them into the habit of helping. When I had my third child, I had her start doing simple things to help at age 3. She was expected to always carry her own dishes to the counter when she was done eating and put her dirty laundry in the hamper. She also "helped" fold clothes or pick up toys for her baby brother. Now she's five and she does these things without even thinking about it! Good luck!

Depends on what you mean by chores. Since my daughter could walk and carry something at the same time, we have had her help put her toys away. It is now just part of our bedtime routine. She also puts her clothes in the laundry basket and things in the trash. Now that she is 2, she helps bring her dishes (long as they are not breakable) to the sink. So basically she is able to clean up after herself fairly well.

As for cleaning, we are starting on her "helping." She loves to wipe tables. She has to "help" vacuum (otherwise she is scared of it.) She also thinks she can sweep and rake leaves. And she is EXCELLENT at helping dad find poop in the yard to pick up after the dog! I think getting them to "help" you, even though it might make a little more work for you, is good to help them learn that everyone needs to pitch in. Eventually they will get it right, and by then it will be second nature and they won't consider it a chore. Since your boys are young, I would start along those lines and expand on it as they are able.