Back by popular demand!
We were LOVING all the responses we got from our post about everyone’s favorite cleaning products! We LOVE learning from you!!! Thank you for all of your comments! Since that post was so successful, we decided to keep the conversation going – this time about how to get kids to do chores.
So..you know the rules – if you continue reading, you have to leave your input in the comments so we can all glean from each other – no free loaders around here!
I made Shelley and Alison come up with three things they have done that have worked for them and then realized that meant I had to come up with three as well…AAAA! I don’t feel like I have this down yet, but I think it is because I keep switching the system thinking that will solve my problem, when it is probably the inconsistency that is blowing my whole plan! So after I read all of your ideas, I am going to find ONE system and try to stick to it – that is the hard part, right?
How Does She get kids to do chores?
Missy
1. The Alligator
I originally heard a version of this idea from a genius mom I interviewed once, but was reminded about it recently by Alison who took a “house in order” class from a different amazing mom – so I figured if it is still around, it must work! I just started it a couple weeks ago and so far so good! This system is for keeping things put away (part of morning and night chores) and it involves an ALLIGATOR. If your things are left out when you go to bed or go to school, the ALLIGATOR comes and eats it. If you want it back, you have to wait until Saturday and then you have to pay the alligator with your computer time. The original idea was to make each item they wanted back a quarter, but apparently I haven’t taught my kids the value of money so it wasn’t hard to hand over the quarters, thus ruining the plan. I needed something they cared about – right now, that is computer time. It has worked BRILLIANTLY so far.
2. Involve the kids
I used to make my kids do their homework and chores right when they got home from school and before they could play. It was NOT working. I sat down with my boys and tried to have a discussion (as much as you can with a 6 and 8 year old) about why this was so difficult for them to get done. They told me they were tired of HAVING to do more things when they got home and they just wanted to play. So I asked them, “If I let you play right when you get home, then you will do your homework and chores?” They thought that sounded fair. So now they get about 45 minutes when they first get home to have a snack and play – then it is time to get things done, without argument. Just talking to them about it made all the difference – all I have to say now is, “play time is over, it’s time to get your stuff done” and they do it!…most of the time:)
3. Spreadsheet
I am a list maker. I LOVE to check things off my list as I get them done (sound familiar, Alison?). I tried this on my kids and it seems to work. I have one spreadsheet for each kid on a clipboard hanging in the family room. It has their Morning Routine (brush teeth, make bed, pick up room, etc) afternoon routine (piano, homework, chore) and night routine (brush teeth, pick up your things around the house, shower, etc). Now when my kids ask what their chore is, I just say, “Check your list.” I think the key to this was also having their input about which chores they were willing to help with because once we wrote it down and it was agreed upon, it is now the list making them do the chore – not me.
Shelley
1. Music
Singing works wonders for Shelley. When she starts singing, “Clean up, clean up, everybody everywhere, clean up, clean up, everybody does their share” her toddler knows it is time to start putting things away.
2. Basketball
Turning the toy box into a game of basketball makes the clean up chore FUN!
3. Bulletin Board
Instead of having a ton of paper clutter to pick up all the time, Shelley uses a bulletin board in her toddler’s room where she can pin up special art projects or birthday invitations.
Alison
1. Blindly Choose
As you know, Alison came up with a great 2×4 chore chart system that she is loving right now! As explained in the post, she has all the chores that need to be done written on tongue depressors. Her kids blindly choose some tongue depressors and that determines which chores they will have for the day. This keeps it like a game and exciting! Alicia commented on the chore chart post that she does a similar system but also puts fun things in as well to keep the kids WANTING to pick a stick – good thinking, Alicia! There is a free download for a template with chores for the tongue depressors – go check it out, here.
2. Sticker for a Chore
Alison offers a sticker for a chore. Stickers are tallied on a sheet of paper and can be redeemed at the family store for coveted prizes! Her kids can also earn stickers for good behavior and lose stickers for bad behavior.
3. Bribery never hurts
Enough said.
Okay, we shared – now it is your turn! I can’t wait to read all of your great ideas!
Remember if you are still reading this, you took the oath!
How do you get your kids to do chores???
Kim says
I’ve used several different ways –
Daily Reminders Chart (you can download for free!): http://733blog.blogspot.com/2009/07/daily-reminders.html
Family Store: http://733blog.blogspot.com/2010/03/for-goodness-sake.html
shelly says
I just finished the 2×4 chore chart last night….this morning our oldest whipped off 4 of his chores befor breakfast! (I color coded each of their chores to the child’s name so that once all of their color was gone, they were done)
Carolyn says
Having been a mom for almost 20 years, I am still learning. Nothing ever works the same for 3 different kids. I did find however, what works for my 5 year old is making it a game. I give him one task ie., gather all the “guns” in the house and put them in his “War Box” (don’t ask LOL). His job is to see how fast he can accomplish his “mission”! Sometimes it works! Other times, his 15 year old brother chimes in and tells him that it is not a game and that is the end of that! But if big brother is at school, it usually works like a charm!!!
Shelly says
I am a stepmom of a 20 y.o. girl and mom to a 16 y.o. boy and 7 y.o. boy. Trying to get these three very different age groups of kiddo’s to do chores is crazy!.. I am going crazy!!.. So I understand when you say the 15 y.o. bro chimes in and ruins the plan. You love em but ohhh mann! Would love to hear of more tips from parents with varying age groups such as ours.
Amy says
I made the 2×4 chore chart and we are starting today. Mine is a little different, each kid has daily sticks, and weekly sticks. They have til Friday afternoon to get the weekly done. I am thinking/hoping this is going to work. Gotta have a physical reminder for Mom and Kids.
Amy says
I LOVE this post, but mine is a question instead of a comment… my kids are 6, 4, 4, 3 (and a baby). And I want to get them started on chores from a young age, but I’d love to see them start doing things besides just cleaning up toys so my question is…
**What are some things others let their younger children do?**
Sometimes I let them “wash” the windows, use a mini broom to sweep, and fold their own pajamas (but I have to spray the windex, hold the dustpan, and sort out pajamas to fold… so it almost creates more work for me than help!) Any suggestions? Or should I just wait til they’re bigger?
Missy says
Great question – my sister-in-law told me to pose that question as well – I should’ve listened! Hope more people will comment on this as well –
My 4 year old is in charge of setting the table, bringing all the garbages to the kitchen to be dumped on garbage day and then returning them to their spot, watering the plants by counting out how many ice-cubes go in each one (thanks Alison for this tip), and making her bed and keeping it tidy. Some of my 6 year old’s chores are: he cleans his bathroom (takes training), sweeps the front porch, empties the dishwasher (his favorite cause it is easy), cleans out the car, dust, bring all the dirty clothes down to be washed, etc.
the 3 year old could probably do the same things the 4 year old can do?
Hope that helps…
julie says
I read a book by Merrilee Boyack and one of the topics was teaching yoru kids to work. I also had a list of age appropriate chores from her that was interesting. For example a 9 year old should be able to bake cookies along, fill car with gas, cook vegetables, sew button, mop(don’t tell my kids they start that at 4 or 5 oops). The scary things is by 11 she doesn’t have any more things to add. I should have this all covered by then! YIKES I have 1 1/2 years.
Saskia says
I have this book and it is wonderful to figure out at what age a child is capable of doing certain chores. Plus it makes sure your child will know everything he or she needs to by the age of 18 for them to be self-reliant and confident in conquering the world!
Shandra says
Let them sort their own clothes! By that age, kids know which clothes are theirs (unless they have a lot of matching clothes). If they don’t, teach them to look at the labels and teach them their size (my kids’ sizes are pretty close to their age, so not too hard!). They’re also big enough to start sorting their own dirty clothes and it’s a great game to learn colors and sorting. My 4 year old loves when I let her pull up a stepstool and “wash” the dishes. I just have to make sure to give her a time limit cuz she’ll stay there all day! We had a family chore day the other day where the kids were each given tasks to do, but they were broken down pretty small so that they wouldn’t get overwhelmed. Our list had “pick up toys, pick up books, pick up dirty clothes, wipe down your bathroom sink, wipe down your bathroom counter, put bath toys in the bucket,” etc. Since they were smaller tasks, the kids knew they could do it and jumped right on it! I also believe in bribery and my kids are learning to love coins. I didn’t like the idea of handing them a coing when it took them 20 minutes to do something that should take 2 minutes, though, so we made it contingent on how many times I had to ask them to do it. If they did it the first time, they got a quarter, the second time, they got a dime, the third time, they got a nickel, fourth time, they got a penny, and if they took longer than that, they should just be happy they still get to live at my house! ;)Good luck to everyone with their plans! And remember the lovely saying: “Cleaning a house while your children are growing is like shoveling the walk while it’s still snowing!”
Sarah H says
I also have young ones (4,3 and 1) so I’m working on this. The 2 older girls are responsible for taking care of their own dishes after each meal (dumping cereal in sink or food in trash, putting dishes in dishwasher).
We also got tired of picking up all their clothes every day, yes every day, because they change outfits 6 times a day and just pull out the contents of their drawer to find everything. So we installed a closet rod low, at their height, in their closet and now they hang all their shirts. Works great! They are so proud of themselves! They can find their clothes and can put them back neatly themselves. They also each have a special box for their socks (an empty wipes container) and underwear. And they have a dirty clothes hamper in their room. I have never bothered about folding because they change clothes so often, and with teenies their pants fit unfolded and who cares if their pjs are wrinkled! Hope that helps. I’m definitely still figuring it all out.
Sarah H says
My kids also LOVE to wipe down the table, I go over it once to get the crumbs off and they take ‘spongebob squarepants’ (a yellow sponge) and wipe away.
Jeanette Kirkham says
My girls 6 & 4 & 1….they earn money by doing chores. We have a chart with their daily jobs and they can also so extra jobs to earn more. Each day they can earn money by making their beds, brushing teeth, doing homework (for the 6yo) or eating dinner with a fork (for the 4yo….ummm don’t ask), they also help set or clear the table (depends on the week -they rotate), clean up (that changes by day on how much they have to clean up, depends on how hard I want to push it that day) and reading (6yo by herself and 4yo we read to or the 6yo can read to her too). We classify our extra jobs as 1 star or 2 star depending on how hard they are. Our 1 star jobs are: clean window, clean walls, clean baseboards, dust, load dishes, dust blinds, clean toilet, pick up bathroom, scrub tub, scrub sink/counter and the 2 star jobs are: sweep kitchen, fold laundry, mop, vacuum room, pull weeds. They get .05 for every daily job and .10 for every extra job they do (and they can’t earn money on sundays…) And if they do every daily job they get a “daily double” where their money for the day doubles because they did EVERYTHING (so each daily job is .10 instead of .05)
And yes some of the extra jobs I end up helping a lot but my 6yo is getting really great at folding her own laundry!
Kat says
We need to remind ourselves that the end goal is to teach our children responsibility and cleanliness. It may take a little more time at first but the little ones are very capable of helping and the younger the better. Never underestimate instilling good habits early.
Janelle says
I have a 9, 7, 6, and 4 year old and they all help with chores and have been for quite some time. They all have to make their bed and keep their toys and rooms tidy and put their piles of clean clothes away, and their dirty clothes in the wash. The four year old opens and shuts one or two of the easy curtains, and pairs up the clean socks. She can also use the dust buster to suck up crumbs and small bits of paper on the floor. The six year old helps pack snacks, fruit and lunch and ice brick into lunch bags and helps fold the easy clean washing. The seven year old packs dirty dishes into the dishwasher, dust bust’s under the table everyday and shuts curtains at the end of the day and fills up drink bottles for school, as well as fold clean undies. The nine year old does the emptying of rubbish bins, empties the dishwasher, and opens curtains, and vacuums once a week and hangs clothes on hangers and puts them in the cupboard.
I have set the chores according to their strengths (preciseness, speed, height or ability) and this is working well. When they get a bit older, I plan to do a similar thing to the 2×4 chart and mix the jobs around a bit so complaints don’t set in!
.-= Janelle´s last blog ..Seeing Double! =-.
colleen says
We put fun music in the cd player – my kids are 7 & 9, so “the cupid shuffle” is really fun – and try to finish tidying one room before the song ends… if we do, we move to the next room. If we do this right after dinner, it seems to work best. It usually takes 15 min. max.
Shelly says
Wow! Is all I can say. When my older kids were younger we had a chore chart with gold stickers and a family store. Now we have incentives for going out with friends. Chores are completed before they get to go out. (16 y.o.) My 7 y.o. helps when he is asked but doesnt have specific jobs. I am looking for a new system for my 7 y.o. so that he has a feeling of accomplishment and empowerment. Might have to try the 2×4 chore chart. Sooo cute! Thanks for all you girls do!
Natalie says
Still working on that. Our best trick is to do it with them. But for the 9 yr old that is getting a little old.
Brooke says
I made a personalized chore chart for my kids (now ages 7,4 and almost 2), where they helped me choose their jobs and then we took pictures of their own “stuff” to remind them what the jobs were. They check them off each day. I made it in photoshop and laminated it, so we just use a dry erase marker to check off the jobs. If you’re interested in downloading the free file to make your own in Photoshop, I have the link on my blog:
http://www.brookie-wookie.blogspot.com/search/label/job%20charts
It’s worked pretty well for us—I’ve found that by having my kids be a part of the decision making process, they “own” their jobs and are more responsible with them, since they helped choose them and can identify them with pictures of their own toys and clothes (in the case of my 4 year old who doesn’t quite read on her own yet).
We’ve also cleaned to fun music, with a timer, doing a race to see who can pick up the most items off of the floor…I have them help me sort their clothes and put their own clothes away. I also have them do extra jobs to earn things like Wii time or treats.
My friend loves a program called “Children’s Miracle Music” at childrensmiraclemusic.com where the kids do their chores to specific music/instructions and it has worked really well in her home.
Valerie Anderson says
In our home, the little ones do chores best alongside a parent. We have one assigned chore per day and computer time, tv time, or friend time are not allowed until chores are done. Mondays each child has a bathroom to clean, but the littler kids do it alongside a parent. Tuesdays one has dishwasher, one has bedroom, one has her own laundry, etc. Wendesdays one has all the garbage cans and to the curb, a different child has dishwasher, a different child has her bedroom and so on and so forth. All of the assignments are posted, but also, it is posted in the bathroom, inside a drawer, what a clean bathroom consists of so there is never any room for “Oh, I didn’t KNOW I was supposed to clean the mirror.” This is what has been working well for us for a long while. We still get complaints, but we get many less complaints when there is help from a parent with an overwhelming chore. When our children work alongside us, they learn how to do the jobs the way they should be done and conversation takes place. One big rule, NO CRITICISM FROM PARENTS, only encouragement! When we are their biggest cheerleaders, they learn to do their best!
Jennifer says
Oh my… so many great ideas! I would love to make a chore chart for my home. I guess you could say I don’t really have a method or list. We just all pitch in ’till the job is done! (But I will be making a chart in the very near future!!!) Thanks everyone!
Liz J says
My two year old helps me empty the dishwasher mostly just plastic and silverware. I don’t want anything broken. He can also put the things that go up high on the counter for me. He loves to clean up. We will give him a wet rag and he will mop up spots. He puts his toys away. He puts diapers in the trash, and gets me diapers/wet wipes for the baby. He puts dirty dishes in the sink or on the counter (depending on the material in which they are made.)
Turning on the vacuum after most of the toys are picked up helps him to finish up with the rest quickly.
Don’t have a chore list yet but he helps when he is asked or when he sees something needs to be done. He’s a good boy most of the time.:)
Tami Higbee says
I think that even if it creates more work for you at times, you still need to teach your kids to be good workers. We also need to teach them the improtance of work. I only have a 6 month old so I don’t know yet what I will do. But my mom used to set the timer for us and we would to the “10 minute clean up”. We would run around as fast as we could and see how much we could get done in 10 minutes. That may not work for everyone either but we thought it was a blast.
Natalie Kay says
I have a friend who opened my eyes to a functioning chore chart….. She had me list all of the chores that needed to get done in order to have my home clean and functioning (vacuum, dust, mop, polish appliances, bathrooms, etc). Then she had me write down how many times/week/month/year I needed to do it. We did the same with my laundry (whites, jeans, darks, bedding, etc). I pulled out a weekly calendar and divided up the chores/laundry, assigning them to days of the week. For me, it works out to no more than 3 jobs with only 1-2 loads of laundry per day. That is a LOT less than I thought I would have, but it works and is less time overall for me. Saturday is a light day and Sunday is off. This plan has saved me! My kids are young and all home right now so I have them help me hold the dust pan when I sweep or load/unload the silverware and they ALWAYS help with setting/cleaning off the table (I don’t let them get out of that one). As they get older I will begin to assign out these daily family chores, but still keep to our daily chore schedule.
I use this as my family chore chart. ( I use “FAMILY” because It’s everyone’s responsibility and it feels like less work if we’re in it together) Before we can go do anything fun, we all have to group together and get our daily chores done. It usually take less than an 45 minutes for the chores and if I start the laundry early, the first load is ready to be folded by the end of breakfast and the second by the end of our chores. That means that our jobs are done by 10:30 or earlier! The biggest perk is that I don’t have to feel guilty because I didn’t vacuum today– that’s thursday’s job. (**unless, of course, a cereal bomb explodes in the family room and the vacuum comes out for that mess) This plan also ensures that I cover all my bases and don’t forget to clean a certain area of my home (ex: the laundry room). Sometimes we slip and have to do a catch up day (these are the worst, aren’t they?!) But I love how good it feels to have my home clean and organized so it’s always worth coming back to.
Here’s my list of Weekly Family Responsibilities:
Monday~
vacuum upstairs
mop
laundry: whites
Tuesday~
bathrooms
entry way
laundry: towels/baby
Wednesday~
take out the trash
dust/polish downstairs
clean fish tank
laundry: boys
Thursday~
vacuum downstairs
mop
appliances and kitchen sink
laundry: bedding
Friday~
dust/polish upstairs
bathroom touch-up
disinfect kitchen countertops
laundry: mom and dad
Saturday~
laundry room
windows down and up
laundry: last chance (make sure all of the sunday clothes are clean)
Sunday~
ENJOY THE DAY OFF!
NOTE** dishes and sweeping are an every-meal thing that is not included in the chart because they are daily responsibilities.
Nesleirbag says
Most of you youngers probably don’t remember “Rocky,” the self-made boxer and his theme, which is the greatest motivation music ever written, especially for young boys. We’d put that on full blast every Saturday morning for our two boys (their little sisters liked it, too), and the chores were done in no time! Their father also left personal messages on post-a-notes stuck to their mirrors commenting on the state of their rooms. Because he left as many praising ones as “call to action” ones, they paid attention when they got a note. They wanted to make their Dad smile and be proud of them.
Lyssa says
I have a 4, 2 and baby in my house and this is something i’ve been wanting to start. I have found little things around the house for them to do. When I clean the kitchen and dining room, my 4 year old loves to help me clear the table and wipe it off (I just give her a wet wipe and let her go to town!)
As far as their toy room, I do the timed game. I say, “let’s see how fast we can pick up these toys!” Or “Let’s see how fast you can get your pajamas on!” This one usually does it. But usually I fall for the “after we pick up this room, i’ll give you a special treat” I am in need of something else soon!
Toni says
I have 3 boys aged 8, 9, 10 and a 3 year old daughter. My 3 year old will do things as asked (usually), but my boys needed some help. After many charts, boards, lists and notes I found my savior of chores; http://www.CHOREWARS.com. It is the most awesome thing. You can get a free account, put up chores that need to be done consistently and you can also put up chores that need to be done just once and then retire them. It turns doing chores into a competition and then whenever one of my kids level up I give them a prize. Money seems to be the one thing most wanted so its $5 every time they level up, but it also earns them game time and computer time.
Keri says
I was just thinking about this very problem this weekend and could not come up with a suitable solution. I have the unique problem of having only one child at this time but all the systems I’ve found are geared toward multiples. Perhaps I could add my husband and that’d solve my problem! I think the spreadsheet will work and the alligator sounds much better than me threatening to take everything away.
mandi says
I made chore charts for my kids in photoshop, put them in picture frames to be checked off with a dry erase pen…the problem – MY KIDS CANT READ! duh! They are 6, 4 and 2…and for some reason it didn’t occur to me that I should use pictures instead of words :oP ha ha —so I will be redoing it soon. def before summertime when all 3 are home all day!
Julie Nordine - Credit River Art Glass says
My boys are 3 years apart & were horrible picking up the same space together, so we started playing a game when they were about 4 & 7 where we take a pair of dice (in a different room than what they’re picking up) & one child rolls them & has to run quickly to the room & pick up whatever number of items he just rolled. While he’s gone, the other child rolls the dice & waits for the first kiddo to come back then runs off to pick up his items. It works PERFECTLY, since they aren’t in the same room fighting over who has to pick up what & never whine about the numbers being unfair because it’s purely chance. We also crank “Mambo No.5” while they’re doing this. LOL.
Miss Mommy says
I LOVE this! Whenever I try to send my twin boys to the same room to clean something up, they end up getting horribly distracted. But by making it a game, and knowing the other one is waiting for them to come back, might just work.
Sharyl says
Hello,
We have been using our chore plan now for about 3 months and it is working very well. I have 4 children ages 8,8,10,13.
We have a chore chart with items that need to be done daily. They can choose to do them or not do them—once they get them done they check them off. At the end of the week—I count up the X’s that were done. And also I draw a line of red in them if they were not done. Also I watch for those that try to just put the ink on the chart and not do them. Each X is worth a point—on weeks that there are fewer checks I will up it to 1-2-3 points and X. Also they each points for good behavior, random acts of kindness, grades, doing extra chores that are on a list but not asked of them, chapter books–they must answer three questions from the book correctly to get the point per chapter, points for worksheets…lots of things–you can come up with your own. We even give points for grooming the dog–he gets brushed constantly now and loves it. The points are converted into tickets—I buy a roll of 2000 tickets for $5 at Walmart. These are good as cash and can be used for a menu of items….craft time with mom, video games time, splash park, movie,they can be converted to cash too for the older child, etc….once they see that they can earn big points by doing what they are told they really got busy. We even set up a mini trunk the kids call a store and they can spend tickets on items…necklaces, candy, cd’s, things that I know that they want and will work to earn.
Now points are also used as discipline—we had all of us sit down and put down bad choices and what each one is used for…so when a violation is done…no more arguements. You did this, it costs this…you lost these points. Now if they go below zero and go”in the red” they are automatically grounded to their room until they earn their way back out. {No one wants to be grounded–so they do anything to stay out of it.}
It is a super way for us that takes the argument out of things and puts the responsibility back to the child. We go shopping and they want something we say–do you have the points to afford it–and 90% of the time they do not want to spend them. Knock on wood…so far it has been working wonderfully.
We have 4 special needs children that need boundaries and structure right up front–so this seems to work for us.
Happy to Share. Sharyl
Rachel says
Great ideas! Thanks for sharing! I’ve learned that my children need to be doing more chores!
My girls, 5 and 3, are reluctant to clear the table,
but if Mom and Dad very loudly look away for a minute we find that the “Magic Fairy” has mysteriously cleared everything off the table. The girls love being the Magic Fairy and playing a trick on Mom and Dad.
The same idea works at bedtime. Dad suggests that they surprise Mom and have their bedtime routines finished before I come upstairs. (This works great for me!)
To get the 1 year old moving we take the imaginary train upstairs in the morning to get dressed and at night to get ready for bed. I call “All Board – wooo, woooo!) He comes running to get on the train and we chugga-chugga all the way up. This is a good signal for everyone to get us all moving upstairs in the same direction at the same time and it takes Mom’s voice out of it. It’s the train taking them upstairs, not me begging.
Thanks for the chore chart idea and sticks. I am working on a version of the chart with cans, mod-podged with paper to hold the chore sticks.
Diane {createdbydiane.blogspot.com} says
The one thing I have encountered when my kids have friends over is that it seems only my kids know when you get up from a table to clear your plate. That rule has been in my house since they were younger, now 9 and 11. at 7 years old my son was emptying this dishwasher and I was always nervous he’d brake something, and so far in two years only one small bowl was dropped. No one leave the kitchen until the dishes are done, counters and table wiped off. They are both now enjoying being the dinner helper a couple times a week and taking part in preparing and helping. They set the table as well and get everyones drink. In addition to the usual house chores, this is the one that has surprised my friends most. They area still surprised my kids know where almost every item goes in the kitchen 🙂
Tarah says
Laundry is the bane of my existence (well, dishes are too) but I now actually enjoy doing laundry with my kids 4, 3, and almost 18 months. I dump all the clothes that are dried on the living room floor and get out three laundry baskets. They each dive in and separate their own clothes into each basket (well, not the baby, he’s not much of a help, but he enjoys to be there). The oldest and middle with try to fold their cloths. I start folding while they are separating and it doesn’t take long at all. They love putting their clothes away. My little boy gets so proud of himself and says, “This goes in top drawer mom?” They also like to help me put the clothes in the washer and dryer, and it doesn’t take much longer than if I were to just do it. I’ve found that with most jobs. The kids, at this age, are wanting (actually, they have been known to beg me) to help. I just have to be willing to let them help.
Dayna says
Ok so I have been using “the House Fairy” it is actually a website that helps you to get the kids motivated. What she does is randomly comes and checks the kids bedrooms and will leave a present or reward whatever you would call it if it is up to her standards which is clean, she evens checks under beds and in closets. On the site there is a tutorial for the kids to watch and then the parents have their own link. I can’t say that my kids have mastered this but honestly neither has their mother HAH! I will include the link so you can check it out and see if it’s something you would utilize. Good luck to you all and happy cleaning!!! thehousefairy.org
Miss Mommy says
Is that connected with FLYlady? I think I’ve heard of it. I’ll have to check that out!
Amy says
We use 100 Marbles – it seems like a lot but it is used for chores as well as doing something unexpected or nice or just because we love them. It is amazing how a few marbles make clearing the dinner table a bit more pleasant. Each of my kids has a jar and a Chart that says “I’ve Lost My Marbles” – sometimes they can earn 1 marble sometimes they earn 3 – it’s flexible. Each of my 3 sons picks a goal prize (something I would probably buy them anyway) and that is what they work towards… It has been great! The boys count their marbles all the day… so we are working on math too!
Cordless Screwdriver says
birthday invitations should be given as early as possible to avoid any surprises *”:
fitness girl says
I heard it often on some talk shows about parenting that its better to train a child than an adult and it reminds me of an old friend who used be in a rich family. During their childhood days they were never trained a single household chores by her parents and when its about time for to live by herself she had a hard time to do things like washing clothes, doing the dishes etc. her own home especially when she became a mother of two.
Saskia says
I have tried sooo many things! But these two things have stuck and continue ot work for my 4 girls ages 11, 9, 7, and 5.
1. Marble Jars. Each 2pint glass jar with there name on it. I kept it simple and used a piece of duct tape. If they want they can decorate with stickers. We sat down and had a family meeting on how much each chore was worth, made a chart and hung it up in the kitchen by the jars. Acts of kindness also count. For the reward they get to go to the store and pick out something worth up to $10 and display their reward in the kitchen by the jars (but out of reach). We alternate the reward…for example… the first jar full can be a toy reward, the next time it should be something essential (jeans, shoes, shampoo, toothpaste…etc.). Up to $10 worth..now if they pick something that costs more then it will take more jars to earn it. Like my daughter ruined her coat and needed a new one…the new one cost 25.00 on sale. So she has to fill her jar 2.5 times.
The only way marbles get dumped (yes we do the whole jar and make them dump it out) is if they lie or if they hit. These were 2 issues at my house I wanted to change. Your house might be different.
We’ve been doing this method since before Thanksgiving and it still works awesome! Hope it works for someone else’s family too.
2. Children’s Miracle Music. A couple of years ago I found this cd online that claimed to help your kids get ready for school and bed on time!! I have used it every day since! Love love it! The music is great and it turns morning and night time routine into a game. the chart didn’t work for us..(kept forgetting to write points down) so we combine this with the marble Jars.
My kids have been late for school ever!
I just hit play on the cd player in the hallway and go get ready myself and my girls get ready on their own, including the 5 year old! It’s really great!
Miss Mommy says
My biggest problem, just like Missy, is finding a system and sticking with it! I have lots of ideas but fail to follow through after a few weeks, which means, of course, the kids fail to follow through and we’re back to square one. I like the alligator idea, though . . .
Jenny says
I have 3 boys, 15, 13 and 11. When they were little they would compete for $1 to have their room clean first. I would sit in the hall and say, “Oh! Jason is getting close!” In the end, it would always end in a tie and they all got a dollar! It worked for a long time! Now, my oldest does everything asked, cheerfully, but my middle and young ones need are more defiant, and need to do their work before computer time, their favorite privilege. They get lots and lots of praise! I tend to not give money because they should be helping and they need the skills, unless they do big jobs. I would rather pay for a special event, or buy them things once in a while that they really want and tell them it is because they are so helpful. Praise, praise, praise!
Laurie@The Baking Bookworm says
We’ve tried a couple of different things with varying degrees of success for my kids (now 13, 12 and almost 10). We had a very detailed Excel spreadsheet that my husband made when I went back to work part-time. It had the three kids as well as us adults on it and we each were assigned chores/day. There were 3 different versions of the chart (which mixed up the kids’ chores so they didn’t get bored). That worked well b/c the chore chart was kept in our pantry so the kids could check what their jobs were.
We then went to using a white board in our laundry room/mud room. I’d assign tasks to each child according to what I needed help with. This was OK but I found that I was still doing the vast majority.
I think we’re going to go back to the original excel spreadsheet but add some of the info I’ve gleaned from this site. Lovin’ it! It’s amazing how many people are shocked that my kids have daily chores. By assigning chores my kids can do laundry, bake a dessert, unload/load the dishwasher, clean a bathroom … Now to make it more fun for them so they’ll be more on board for doing the chores without the dreaded Mom Nagging. Thanks for the info!
Vannessa says
To be honest I haven’t found a great way yet that doesn’t involve a bit of nagging. We do homework at the same time every week so that’s beginning to become a habit. My eldest makes the lunches which we pay for, I don’t think she realises yet that we don’t pay other pocket money. So on conclusion I would have to say not really perfected this yet x
Terri butler says
i usually take TV or computer away for a while but it doesn’t help much! I need to try some of your suggestions!!
Colleen says
I use a time balance idea that works well when you have to learn how to manage your schedule. Say you have 3 chores that don’t really take much time. We’ll say 15 mins each for example. You now pick 3 fun adventures or games or trips to the playground or park etc As the chores get done in a timely manner that time is .added to the fun time or taken away from it as the case may be. It can be arranged however works best. But no completion means no treat.
Natalie Missroon says
-I like to set the timer to see if they can beet it!
-I put all the things in a basket on the stairs it is their job to empty it!
-They have their own basket for laundry and they have to put there own clothes away!
Nikita says
I’m a grandmother of 8 and have been raising my oldest grandson since he was 4. He’s now 13 and it has repeatedly been hard to get him to do his chores. One brilliant day, I discovered that because I do most of my household chores when everyone’s asleep, my grandson had the impression that he was doing ALL the chores. I got a big 4’x6′ white board, turned it horizontal and hung it in the hallway so that everyone sees it every day. I assigned chores to all household members along with which day of the week they needed to be done. Now everyone can see what they are responsible for and what others have on their list. Everyone has a better understanding of what the others are doing on a weekly basis and it breeds more respect and a feeling of unity to keeping the house clean. I also got industrial black bins that stack for my grandson’s room for him to keep his “collectibles” or “other items” in so that it looks more masculine than a toy box or baskets. I still have to remind him every week, but it’s made a positive difference!
Dana says
My daughter wants to use the same clip up chart they use at school. They start on “ready to work” and move up through stages of “good” “excellent” and “master student”. At the higher levels they get a pass to skip one assignment of their choice. I’ think it could translate easily at home since three of my kids are familiar with the system already, and we’ll switch the “skip an assignment” pass for “skip a chore” pass.