• Jun. 9, 2008
Chores!
We have just recently changed the kids chores around. Prior to last week, Taylor's main chore was the living room. She had done this since she was 3 years old. Isaac's chores were to clean up his toys from the living room and he occasionally had to put the shoes all by the door or pick up the trash. They were each responsible for their rooms, but the rooms didn't get cleaned often until it was such a big mess that John and I would have to do it.
The new chores are divied up as follows-
Isaac is responsible for cleaning all of the living room now. (This does not include dusting or the floors or the desk area.) I have to walk him through each step every day right now, but that's ok. He is learning and I know that the hard work now will pay off in the long run.
I wanted to give Taylor a group of smaller chores so that she could start learning how to do more things in maintaining a home. Her everyday chores are now her bedroom, the kids' bathroom, the hall, and an extra chore. I figure that if she is cleaning her bedroom and the bathroom every day that they will never become too big of a job. Especially since we just got her back down to her 10 toys. The extra chore is purely for training purposes, so I am walking her through each one.
I made up a list of extra chores that I can choose from. We also use extra chores as discipline. Taylor used to be really bad for continually saying she was done with her chores when she wasn't. I would end up checking her chore several times and having to point out each individual thing that needed done. This was fine when she was younger and actually needed the help, but it was quite tiring when I knew she was capable of looking for herself to see what needed done. To help encourage her to do it right the first time I started the extra chore rule. Pretty much how that works is once she tells me she is done (the first time she syas it) I will check the chore. If it's not done properly, she will have to fix it AND do another chore. Two or three times of that and the habit was broken for good.
I think the key to doing chores is to do it early in the day and th ALWAYS check their work. If they know you will not check then they have no incentive for doing it right. Also, any time they have a new chore or one they haven't done in a while you must work with them on it for several days so that they know how to do it and what your expectations are.
Here is the list of extra chores for Taylor (age 8) and Isaac (age 3) that we choose from when an extra chore is needed.
Extra Chores List for Taylor
(pick 1 or 2 as the situation demands)
- wash the cabinet doors - change the trash
- wash the baseboard - take down the trash
- spot clean the walls - organize the movies
- sweep any room - clean the game cabinet
- vacuum the rugs - clean off table after meals
- dust the living room - clean under cushions
- clean Isaac’s room - help with the dishes
- help with a meal - help fold laundry
- reboot the laundry - put clean clothes away
Extra Chores List for Isaac
- take extra shoes to bedrooms
- wash light switch covers
- clean bedroom
- fold washcloths and hand towels
- clean off table after meals
- help put clean clothes away
- help take trash down
- feed the cat
