At what age should a child be expected to do chores?

Question

I live with my married friends, and their kids are lazy. The mom works and the dad doesn't care that they mess up the whole house. One child is 7 and one is 11. I've tried everything within reason to get them to help out. Are they too young or just too spoiled?

Answer 1

Start at 4 or 5. At that age I ask my kids to clear off their dishes after eating, and clean their toys up.

At 6 we ask them to make their beds

Answer 2

Six or seven is a good age to start. Simple chores can be given at first, especially depending how young the child is. Making their beds each morning is a good start, and keeping their rooms clean is another chore that shouldn't be neglected. If they have a dishwasher, request that the older child unload it and the younger child load it (you may want to help the younger child, just in case). If they wash their dishes in the sink, have the older child wash and the younger child dry, under your supervision. Setting the table and clearing the table are two other simple chores that they can complete. However, as unfortunate as it is, these kids are not yours, and before making long-term chore commitments with them, discuss it with their parents. If the parents agree, you can make a sticker chart. After a certain number of chores is completed, give them a suitable reward. They are most certainly not too young, but go easy at first.

Best of luck to you!
XOXO,
Laurie

Answer 3

I would think starting a child at 4-5 making their bed or cleaning up their toys is a good start. Now 7 and 11? THATS JUST DAMN SPOILED AND LAZY! You might have a talk with the parents and explain that they are being messy and they are well above the age to start helping around the house or might bring the old all mighty dollar into play. Clean up for cash!

Answer 4

As soon as a child can walk and fllow simple directions they should have chores. A small child should pick up his/her toys and put them away. A bigger kid can help set the table , and help with other simple chores. Like cleaning their room, putting clothes in laundry hamper , changing sheets and pillow cases.

I would say they are spoiled. It has to be the Dad or Mom who cracks down on them .

Answer 5

umm, i think they're spoiled... i mean a child should be exposed to chores as early as possible... maybe help folding clothes or something when they're 6ish. they can start off with small chores that increase as they grow up... an 11 year old should be doing more than just sitting around... besides if they dont become even a little responsible now, what about the future??

Answer 6

They are spoiled. Chores should begin as soon as children are at school. Simple tasks like cleaning your room, getting changed straight out of your uniform when you get home. Preparing your clothes the next day, not leaving dirty clothes or wet towels laying around, setting the table for dinner.
By 11 they should be bringing clothes in off the line and folding them, preparing their own lunches. Doing their own homework. Clearing the table after dinner. Taking the bins out etc.

Answer 7

I think they are spoiled. The 11 year old is more than able-bodied enough to chores, and the 7 year old can certainly start small by cleaning their room or taking out the trash.

Answer 8

There is no reason the kids cannot help with the chores. My kids started helping out when they were 4 years old. Of course, they were age-appropriate chores, but they started. And my almost 7 year old and my almost 10 year old both help out with chores. I don't expect TOO much from them while doing the chores, but they do at least try. Both of them were helping wash dishes when they were four years old. They were cleaning their rooms at 4 years old. Of course they didn't get as clean as I would have liked, but at that age you can't expect too much from them.

At 7 and 11 years old, there is no reason they can't do chores. And at 11 years old there is no reason that can't do chores WELL.

Answer 9

Spoiled! My son is 5 and started doing simple chores when he was 2. By simple I mean picking up his toys. By 3 he was putting the silverware away out of the dishwasher and carrying his dishes to the kitchen.

Answer 10

well i've been doing my own laundry, dishes and stuffs since 9th grade..but it's more heavy chores like vaccuming, cleaning the bathroom completely
but...since 11 years old i helped fold laundry and feed the dog, pick up the poop, do the dishes, take out the trash
so yeah 11 is a good age for chores
7..still a bit young...you have to watch that they don't break the dishes or make any mistakes

Answer 11

I started mine almost as soon as they could walk - with age-appropriate tasks like bringing their dishes up to be washed and so on.
By the time that they were twelve or thirteen they could all cook a full meal (under *some* supervision) and were washing and ironing their own clothes on top of their normal cleaning tasks around the house.
They thank me for that today as they are all independent and will pull their weight around the house when they settle down - and that was what I taught them - it was *their* house not a hotel that I ran for them and they appreciated that it didn't clean itself nor did their clothes and food didn't just appear on the table miraculously nor the rubbish walk out of the house on it's own!
Those children will grow up to regret it if they are not taken in hand by someone soon.
Best wishes,
Joan.