How many responsibilities should I give my children a week?One a day?Do you use a chart?

Question

I have a 15 yr old and 7yr old . They are not contributing enough to the house and I have to ask for help . Should I use a chart or just give them a list? Is one responsibility a day asking too much for food, shelter, and clothing(not to mention all that cr** that is on the bedroom floors)?

Answer 1

At their ages one responsibility per day is not asking for much at all. I'm not sure what you have them responsible for at the present, but you should definetely start adding some "chores" to their lives. Otherwise how will they learn to take care of themselves when they are adults?

When I was 15 I was expected to keep my room clean - that meant cleaning, dusting and vacuuming the room. Emptying the basket by my desk. Taking dirty clothes to the laundry room. The consequences for not doing these things were not having clean clothes to wear, not be allowed to go out with friends, no phone calls, no television.

I was also expected to take turns with my brother in cleaning our bathroom once each week - tub, toliet, sink, wastebasket. I hated toliets and my brother hated tubs so we just split the tasks each week. We were expected to feed our dogs and brush their coats to check for fleas and ticks. I had to clean the fishtank. My brother had to take out the garbage on garbage day and I brought in the mail from the mailbox daily.

There are many little things that your children could be doing to help that would save you time and teach them how to take care of themselves. I would say that your 15 yr old is old enough to tackle the laundry and your 7 yr old should be able to handle running the vacuum and sweeping the kitchen and other hard floored areas. In addition to them keeping their personal spaces clean and tidy.

For your younger one you may want to make a chart. If your oldest gets scatterbrained it can be good for them as well. List their chores and have them check off when they have completed them. And advise them to work together to tackle big projects - like sorting laundry together or cleaning the bathroom.

You'll be teaching them valuable life lessons and responsibility. Just keep that in mind when they start to complain. Stick to it, expect it and don't let them slack off to where you're doing all the work again.

Answer 2

A 7 year old should be able to:
Put their own clothes in the laundry hamper
Help sort laundry
Make their own bed
Dust
Wipe off surfaces
Help vacuum
Help put away groceries
Put away their own clean clothes
Put their toys away

15 year old should be able to do almost any cleaning activity around the house plus be able to cook.

The 7 year should do 2 to 3 small chores a week like the ones listed above.

The 15 year should be responsible for cleaning one entire room besides their own plus cooking 1 or 2 meals for the family a week.

Answer 3

I have a 13 year old and she is responsible for her bedroom and bathroom; helps clean the kitchen each night; vacuum when necessary; pick up pine cones from the yard and if she does ALL of her chores for the week she gets her allowance. If she only does a few chores - she gets zero dollars!! That hurts when she wants to do things with her friends! She has the option to do more and earn more but she does not get a free for all where we do all the work and she does none!! She even does her laundry now!!

Answer 4

If you only give a 15 yo and a 7 yo 1 responsibility a day - you are doing them a disservice. I have an 11, 7 and 2 year old. They have daily chores that they are responsible for. They are not in this family to be served. We all work together to take care of the home and items we have. Here are their responsibilities:

Daily: 11 & 7 y.o. : keep room clean, make bed, and bring all dirty clothes to washroom every morning. Anything they get out-they put up. Feed dog, wipe down kitchen table after b'fast & lunch. Help set and clear dinner dishes, help fold laundry and put their clean clothes away.

once a week: dust family room, living room , & their bedroom, empty bathroom trash cans, clean sink in their bathroom, clean mirrors in all bathrooms, vacuum family room (they usually use the divide and conqure method on these)

Monthly: strip bed and bring to washroom then put them back on (7 y.o. needs a little help w/ this), wipe down baseboards in family room and kitchen

The 2 y.o. picks up his toys and books (we play a game to see who can clean up the fastest) takes his plate the sink after a meal, helps fold wash cloths, brings his dirty clothes to the washroom.

They have time to do all of these things plus take dance, go to church, go to Girl Scouts, play outside, etc. They do not spend a lot of time watching TV which is just one of many pluses of having them do chores!

Answer 5

I ofund a website on children and their responsiblities and its quite interesting. Here is a few things it says...


Ages 5 to 9: Kids ages 5 to 9 can wipe up paint and other spills, secure tops on paint containers, make their beds, take care of pets, set and clear the table, fold laundry items, unpack groceries and help with such simple cooking tasks as washing vegetables and spreading pizza sauce.

Asking children for help is the simplest way to get them involved, but be sure to have a single specific task in mind, such as placing all the tops on paint cans or putting all the crayons in a basket. Explain the cleanup or put-away process and praise a job well done. This improves the chances for a willing helping hand next time.

Ages 14 to 17: Older teens can tackle bigger jobs, such as cleaning the kitchen or bathroom or washing windows.

For this age group, the completion of daily and weekly cleaning chores can be a requirement before bestowing other favors, such as increasing an allowance or borrowing the family car.

Answer 6

The 15 year old is too old for a chart..just make a list of things they have to do. One chore a day is letting them off easy. Your 15 year old should do his/her own laundry by now and fold and put them away. Your 7 year old can put his/her own clothes away too.
They can take turns vacuuming, clearing the table, setting the table.

Answer 7

Initiate a program if they want ceratin things, money, clothing, all the extras that us lovley paents get for them, they will have to earn it. They can pick up, the older one can fold and put laundry away, dishes, the easy stuff we hate doing. My klids are 5 and under and they make there beds clean up there bedroom and help with laundry dishes, outside stuff in the summer and at the end of the week I buy them each sometinhg (undr $10) at walmart. And they look forward to it everyweek.

Answer 8

I would use a chart and give them rewards for doing good...what i did with my little sister was gave her 2 chores a day....whether it be dishes, trash, feeding the animals, or just picking up her room....she got paid 1 dollar for every chore she did so she got 10 dollars at the end of the week...but i understand that some people cant afford that so what you can do if you cant is get a jar....buy some marbles....everytime they do good and you praise them for it you should put a marble in the jar...set a goal and reward a prize at the end....something that they will look forward to.....well good luck and hope this all works out for you !!

Answer 9

My kids have more respnsibilities and they are 4 and almost 2, tell your kids that they are lucky, they could have me for a mom! Sit down (with dad or by yourself) and make a list of what they are going to need to know in order to make it by themselves. Shift the focus from you being militant about chores, to teaching. They can't argue with needing to know it! They should be responsible for their belongings, keeping them clean, and in good repair. This means clothes. Even if they don't do the laundry, they can get it into baskets and to the washer for you. I always argued the point that I owed my mom something because she gave birth, I didn't ask. With my kids instead, I take the approach that if they want possessions and free time, they need to take care of their things and their play space. Have them pick from your list what they want to learn to do and then they become responsible for it, for the whole family. Once they know how to do it, then they REALLY won't mind just having to do their own laundry and not the whole household's. Move through your list leaving them to care for themselves once they have learned the skill. For cooking and dishes etc, make it a different day each week. Monday, you cook, kid #1 does dishes and kid #2 does laundry. Tuesday, kid #1 cooks, kid #2 does dishes, and you can do your laundry. etc. Then they see the work of the house, as belonging to the house.
And anytime they argue, threaten to send them to me. My four year old helps load the dishwasher, picks up his toys and his room and helps start laundry. His little brother picks up toys and his room (clothes etc) and helps me turnthe knob to start the dishwasher and clothes washer and helps me sort laundry. They both help cook (which means I sweep and mop the kitchen 4 times a day) and they help take cre of the cats. Tell your kids that they can always come stay with me...I'll work 'em good...lol

Answer 10

a little work never hurt any kid. i have a 16 year still at home. it is his responsibility to take out the trash . and he will help me with most anything i ask him from doing dishes if i have to go somewhere, sweeping the floors. and if he wants certain clothes washed when it isn't wash day he washes them. and he even cooks if he is hungry between meals. i am trying to learn him to be self sufficient so he can take care of himself when and if he lives on his own.. kids love to help but also love praise and thank you when they do..so by all means give them chores to do but don't use a chart if you need something done just ask one of them to do it according to their age