My questions are….how much time should a child spend completing chores on a daily basis and how do you get them to complete them without taking all day? This is always a big debate at our house! For instance my 15 year old, I ask him to clean his room, fold and put the clothes away, my 11 year old to clean his room and rinse the dishes. I ask my 9 year old to clean her room and straighten the living room, and my 5 year old to just pick up after herself. Is this too much? I don’t think so but they do. On top of that it takes them FOREVER to do anything and 9 times out of 10 they never even complete the task! I’m not asking for perfection, I have five children so that’s out of the question. Then there’s the guilt of asking them to do anything. Oh the wonderful guilt, they are really, really good kids they all make straight A’s in school, they’re always polite, just the best bunch of kids……..but they’re NASTY! HELP!!!!!
What u think of yourself is much more important than what others think of u!!
I created a task chart with rewarding stickers and when my children receives 6 stickers of the same task ,they than receive a reward coupon which entitles them to a favorite toy or sleep-over party with one friend, it innitiates them and is rewarding too!!
Well, I don't know how well things are going for you financially, but we all know that "money talks." Not a bribe necessarily but an Allowance for a job well done.. and on time!
No, you're not asking that much out of your kids, and from what you say, the amount of chores you have each of them do should take them no more than an hour a day. They just want to do other things, so they slack off. You figure, they've been at school all day so when they get home they just want to relax. I remember those days. But I also remember wanting my weekly Allowance even more! $$$
Just try it if you can and see how it goes.
Hi KB. I can respect your point of view. At the same time, if you think about it, Mom can accomplish 2 things by giving her children an allowance for a deligated job well done!
She will teach them not only how to be a responsible valued member of the household, but in learning that responsible sense of duty and obligation, with an allowance given, they will learn the value of a dollar, because they worked hard for it! They will understand that in life when you work and take the responsibilities you are given seriously, you can earn money for the things that you want to have. On the other hand, if you don't work or do a slow sloppy job, you don't get paid. (A lesson in reality).
When I was a child, 10 years old, the first thing I bought with the money I earned was a gold fish for my bedroom, I called him wilber, and I also bought a pair of fuzzy pink footies. With my next allowance I bought a 45 (Disco Duck) for my record player. I loved helping my Mom and Dad around the house and doing a good job! When I was 13 I saved enough money to buy myself a 10 speed bike and some Ice skates. And I still love working today. Infact I just bought a house in the Colorado Mountains! I still wash dishes and pick up after my husband and 7 year old daughter, a clean house comes naturally and with logic and the sense I was born with, I don't expect to be paid, which is why I say an Allowance for a child is just 1 of 2 lessons that Mom can teach her children.. and that will infact work to her advantage in more ways than one. "2 birds with 1 stone" so to speak.
Woo. When you bring the mantality of our Government Leaders into the equasion I lost the arguement!
save the starfish
As a Mom, I do not think that children should be paid to do their chores, work is work and helping the family to keep clean neat and tidy is part of their jobs. NO they are not employees but you have to run a house as a business sometimes, how would they feel if you did not put food on the table or give them the STUFF they want.
I told mine that do your chores and things go smooth, not done then things get done my way. Ok I clean the bed room and you would be surprised what happens after you take all the Good stuff out. Hey I had to clean your room. Folding the cloths, nope so you go wrinkled and no you cannot use MY iron. The dishes not cleaned, then what are you going to eat off of. no you can not use the paper plates. So you stand over the sink and eat. Do not see that happening.
The kids want something that costs $$$, nope not happening either. You have to feed, cloth and shelter them but do you have to get them the good stuff, take them to GOODWILL. You will see that things will change when you stop fighting them and just set the rules to fit the what they are doing.
NO clean towels, then you go to school funky, that kind of thing, If they are ashamed they will change.
I have 11 kids, and not a one of them is or has been in trouble, no smoking, drinking, drugs, and none one has kids, they are ages 18 - 24. Mine, adopted and fostered.
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I would like to thank everyone for all the great advice! The fact that I now know I’m not asking too much has been a tremendous help. You all have so many wonderful ideas. Lisam you have truly been an inspiration 11 children, wow, and I’m having trouble with my five.
holden31...Our son used to be the ultimate slob...so...when I said "pick it up" the fight was on...SO...I gave him a time limit. At the end of that time, I went into his room, he had to leave, and everything that I picked up went into a trash-bag, got tied up and went into the hall closet...locked up for one week. At the end of the week if there was anything that he wanted in the bag, he had to buy it back from the bank, (his savings account that held the allowence during the time I was holding his stuff hostage).then the money he gave back to me went back into his savings...the one he can't touch till he's 25!!! That only happened three times, but now he's a really neat guy, and the girls just love that about him!
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