Hi Parents,
I was raised in a traditional home in the Midwest, so it seems so natural to me that Saturday mornings are designated as "chore days", (maybe because in the Midwest it is cold and gray six months out of the year so no one seems to mind doing the chores?). Every Saturday every member of the family had a list of chores to complete before they could do their own thing and it was just the way of life, but I believe being raised in this structure has helped me to be more organized, disciplined and successful in the workplace today.
The more I talk to other parents these days, I am amazed at how many parents do not give their children the responsibility of regular chores. Do you?
I have heard replies such as "Well they are just too young what could they possibly do?", or "I ask them to help but then they end up finding something else to do", or my personal favorite "Why ask them to do chores if I am just going to have to spend my time to go behind them and do the same chore over again to get it done right?".
I am sure these are valid concerns, but I will counter the argument that it is the parent's responsibility to raise responsible children, and I believe by the age of 2 all kids should begin to be accountable for regular chores. Even if it is a small task it is teaching your child that being in a family and living in a home is a group responsibility and everyone needs to pitch in and help out to maintain the home. I also believe it is a good idea to separate regular chores (responsibilities for being a member of the family) from the extra chores that can be tied to a weekly allowance. By giving your child an allowance you are teaching them to manage their finances and allowing them to make discretionary spending choices with their own money when they really want that cool new toy and it is not their birthday. If you are consistent in this practice, not only will you contribute to raising responsible children, but you will begin to see great pride in your children when they successfully accomplish a task!
Remember - it does not have to be done perfectly - this is a parental exercise for raising responsible children and it is not about having a squeaky clean house! Here are 30 quick suggested chores for kids - why not pick two or three that are appropriate for your child's age and get started this week?
Sample Chores for Children:
- pick up toys
- make bed
- set table for dinner
- clean up the table after dinner
- wash dishes
- dust
- feed the pet
- brush/walk - take care of a pet
- get the mail everyday from the mailbox
- take out the garbage
- fold clothes
- wash the car
- sweep out the garage
- pick vegetables in the garden
- organize the books on the bookshelf - by size or alphabetically
- vacuum
- water plants
- if they are young - line up their plastic bath toys with 2 tubs and ask them to help you wash the toys
- roll their coins so they are ready to take to the bank
- help plan and write down the meals for the coming week
- wipe down the kitchen cabinets or counters
- if they are old enough - mow the yard
- My six year old's favorite - identify and put batteries in the flashlights or toys that have dead batteries! - Yes - a future engineer I do believe! :-)
- organize a closet or drawer
- collect all of the towels in the house into one basket for someone to wash
- organize the DVD/movie or games
- again for the little ones - have them find every ball in the house or garage and put them into 1 bucket or basket
- clean their bedroom
- put the stamps on your bills/letters that are ready to go out or write the return address on each envelope
- help prepare a meal or help to prepare the grocery list
I would love to hear from you if you have other chores that your kids are doing today!
Good luck and know that your effort is worth the reward!
Julie
aka: Mom
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