My kids don't do chores. They do help around here if I tell them to but they don't have specific daily chores. I think they should. I even make plans to make it happen. I have done all kinds of simple charts, complicated charts, colorful charts, re-writable charts, permanent charts.
I worry all the time about what that is teaching them. They can't go about the rest of their lives only doing something if they are asked ignoring the daily stuff that needs to be done. That is always my focus. Not now but the rest of lives.
I don't know if I should make ANOTHER chore list. We really do have to do something. Summer is here and Timothy was on the xbox at 8:30. Caitie is laying in front of the TV. They would both stay there all day if I let them. Not just one day. We all need an occasional down day. But we aren't talking occasionally, they would do this everyday all day if I let them. That just isn't going to work.
Our biggest problem is that I make the plan and then I forget to remind them. I can make a new plan. I like making new plans. But making a plan isn't the issue. I am not good at making them do it. Maybe I need to buy a t-shirt that says "THE ENFORCER" and wear it everyday. The one time I did good with the routine was after Timothy told me the reason he didn't do his chores is because I didn't "enforce" the routine. I got mad and then I made it my mission to make sure he did his stuff every single day. It worked. Until I forgot again.
I thought that eventually they would get old enough that I didn't have to remind them to do their chores but instead they have just gotten old enough to have an attitude about doing them. Parenting isn't it fun!
Shell
Well my mom always told me that her biggest regret was not making my brother do chores. I was the girl, therefore I did most everything, kitchen, bathroom, and laundry. My brother was a slob, he would do something and do it badly and then it would just go back to being my chore. (he once washed the bathroom floor by pouring a coffee cup of water on the floor and wiping with a towel, he was 13)...So I make sure my boys have regular chores. They don't always get done, but at least I'm trying to break the cycle. LOL.
ReplyDeleteThere were 5 kids in my family, so chores were a must. We started out at 6 doing very basic things and as we got older, the list got more complicated. But my mom mostly kept it simple with us rotating through some very basic jobs--dishes/counters, set and clean up the table, take out the trash and sweep the floors, help mom with dinner and feed the dogs.
ReplyDeleteWe had to do other everyday stuff, too. Take our laundry to the laundry basket, make our beds, clean up the bathroom . . .
But, who needs to do everything at once? If your goal is to get them doing stuff and be consistent, then just pick two jobs to start.
Dishes and trash, for instance. One takes out the trash, the other does the dishes. They rotate weeks. No complicated chart needed. You can add more in later as you can handle more, but this is a simple start that is easy to keep control over.