Chores for 5 Yr Old Boy and 8 Yr Old Girl

I always had a hard time making chore charts. Then I found this website http://www.tessyandtab.com/money/index.htm . It is really about money managment but has chore charts that go along with it. You can print the charts for free. http://www.tessyandtab.com/money/printables.htm . The pre-made charts only go to age 6 but there is a blank one that you can fill in.
We love this chart and my daughter loves that she is helping out and earning money. Hope this helps you out.

I have a 10 yo boy with ADHD, an 8 yo girl with ADHD, and a 5 year old girl. My kids have a set chore chart where they rotate chores every day, with a specific chore for each day of the week. The chore chart is on poster board and each room that they are expected to clean has a list of "to do's" for that room. My 5 year old never has to clean the kitchen since she really can't reach anything yet, so the older two rotate that room, but the bathroom, dining room, and living room are on their charts. They are not expected to do any scrubbing, with the exception of the dining room table. They are to pick up the room, throw away trash, put things in their place, and sweep (I only have hardwood floors!) When the older two do the kitchen, they are expected to unload and then reload the dishwasher, pick up the counters and floor, and sweep. The bathroom is the same, except they have to take the clothes out of the dirty hamper and take them to the laundry room and sort them. It rarely takes them more than 10-15 to do any chore since chores are done everyday, things don't get too bad.

Since the chore chart is on the wall, they walk in from school, look at what room they have to do for that day, and then they go do it. When they are done with that room, they get their after-school snack. Once they are done eating their snack, they fold one load of laundry (all together, not one load for each kid!) Then they start on their homework. It is a very set routine and it works great for us. They have to clean their own room, plus one other room on Sat., but there are no chores on Sunday.

This schedule doesn't work at all for my s-i-l. She has 6 kids and she has a white board that she writes chores on each day. She writes each kid's name next to their 3-4 specific things that need done that day. She makes sure that the list is up before they come home, and they are expected to come home and do whatever she has decided needs done that day. This works well for her kids, but not for mine. My way of doing things doesn't work for her kids. In other words, you have to figure out what works for YOUR kids by trial and error.

Now, as for rewards: Neither my s-i-l nor I give rewards for doing their chores. They live in our house and contribute to the mess, so they need to contribute to cleaning it up. The reward is having a clean house! They are not allowed to play until chores are done to teach them, work first, then play. After their chores have been checked, if their homework is done, they can go play, watch tv, ect. Sometimes, when we have a large project, like raking leaves or something where they didn't make the mess, but they live here and need to pitch in, we'll get them a special desert, or a bottle of pop, or go out for dinner. But that isn't an every week thing.

I hope you can find what works for you! If you have trouble sticking to things, I suggest you write down what is expected each day from each kid and put it on the wall (or white board) some where. That way there are no questions about what is expected of them, and it leaves little room for argument.

Hi~
Here is information from an excellent handout I have titled “Expecting Your Child To Do Chores-Should You or Shouldn’t You?” (by Marty Rossmann, Professor Emeritus, Family Education Program, College of education and Human Development, University of Minnesota) ….

What parents need to know about teaching a task?
􀂾 Learning the task will take considerable time.
􀂾 Decide exactly what needs to be done.
􀂾 Divide tasks in manageable steps and size – “Hang up the clothes you wore today” rather than “clean your room”.
􀂾 Introduce the task using the child’s particular learning style:
* Describe the big picture
* Start on the first step with no overview
* Give a demonstration showing the child how to do the task
* Write out the steps to accomplish the task
* Leave the child alone/Stay with the child to supervise
* Expect to have to repeat the instruction
􀂾 Communicate requests clearly and succinctly, trying not to give a lecture (say “wet towels on chair!”)
􀂾 Develop reminder systems: Charts, Plans for someone to remind the child, link the task to associations, such as do the task before you leave for soccer.
􀂾 Give appropriate rewards - Say thing like “Thanks”, “Well done”, “I’m grateful to you”, “You’re really helping this family”.
􀂾 Give lots of hugs and kisses-the best reward is affection.
􀂾 Provide supervision: Don’t hover, don’t help too much after initial instruction
􀂾 Give appropriate negative feedback along with sufficient encouragement
Say “the bed looks ok. Next time, be sure the sheet is pulled up before pulling up the spread”

Twenty ways to get a reluctant child involved:
􀀹 Understand the capability of the individual child: allow for differences among children in the family.
􀀹 Begin early: By two most children can, with help, pick up toys, take off their clothes and put in hamper.
􀀹 Get all family members involved: parents share tasks with kids, model how to do the work, provide company to make the tasks more enjoyable. All members in the family should be assigned tasks.
􀀹 Offer encouragement: thanks, hugs, and pats on the back. Use check lists, stickers, and charts. Intermittent rewards are best, the goal is for intrinsic rewards (coming from within the child) to take over.
􀀹 Communicate a lot about the reasons for being involved in the work of the family. Ask rather than demand and give reasons.
􀀹 Make gender-free assignments: Garbage and dishes can be done by either boys or girls.
􀀹 Establish realistic standards for the job: Perfection in towel folding may not be necessary for family functioning; consider if standards are being set by what others will think or to fit your family.
􀀹 Use common sense about the number of tasks expected of each child.
􀀹 Ask for volunteers and rotate jobs; vary the tasks to avoid boredom or getting stuck with an unpleasant job.
􀀹 Set an appropriate time, with the child’s input, for the work to be done; routines help everyone to know what to expect.
􀀹 Consider having children who can read and write compete a weekly contract that says what they plan to do and when the task will be completed.
􀀹 Avoid blaming or labeling: saying you inherited your slob tendencies from you father, doesn’t get the job done.
􀀹 Use humor: Are you leaving your clothes to be picked up by the clever invisible elf?”
􀀹 Set rules for the shared spaces in the home: All homework must be picked up by bedtime or they’ll be tossed.
􀀹 The child’s room is their sanctuary, within reason: General room cleaning weekly, no food in room.
􀀹 Make a place for as many things as possible: Label shelves, boxes and drawers so everything has a place.
􀀹 Don’t give in to bribery and inevitable bargaining.
􀀹 Don’t argue, refrain from confrontations. Explain the consequence and walk away.
􀀹 Avoid tying allowances to household tasks: everyone has to pitch in for family functioning, parents don’t get paid for tasks, allowances are important for learning money management, consider extra pay for some jobs.
􀀹 Don’t despair if the child backslides-all children go through periods when self-preoccupation is intense.

Principles of parent-child relationships that apply to household tasks:
• Children have rights and parents have rights too.
• One of parents’ most important goals is to teach their children to be responsible.
• Children learn a lot about responsibility by watching their parents and modeling their behavior.
• Parent-child relationships are reciprocal-if a parents respects the child, the child respects parent.
• The ability to participate in household tasks increases with the age of the child.
• To achieve eventual independence, all children need to know how to run a household.
• Convey respect by allowing children choices about which jobs they would like to do and how tasks should be done-but they can’t choose to opt out of household tasks.
• Consequences should follow logically, and should, if possible, be identified by the child.
• Try not to do anything for the child that they child can do for themselves!!!!!

Appropriate tasks for children at various age groups:
Ages Four-Five:
* Put dishes in dishwasher
* care of pets with help
* plan one family meal a week with help
* dust the family/living room furniture
* sort clothes for laundry with help
* water indoor plants with help
* clean sink and tub after using

Ages Five-Seven:
* Remove dishes from dishwasher and put away
* cook simple meals using microwave
* fully responsible for care of pets
* wash and dry clothes with help
* fold laundered clothes and put away with help
* make a grocery list for one meal with help
* manage a small weekly allowance (% to save, spend, and give)
* vacuum the family/living room area
* take out the trash
* fully responsible for watering indoor plants
* clean their bedroom (put away things where they belong, dust, vacuum)

Ages Seven-Ten:
* Cook simple meals using the range and oven
* make a grocery list for family meals for one week
* simple home repairs (cleaning sink drains)
* family laundry
* clean the bathroom
* recycle cans/ bottles/newspapers
* Answer phone/take messages
* help with yard work
* write thank you notes for gifts
* clip and use coupons
* shop for clothes with help
* help to clean the car
* help to paint their own room
* prepare own school lunch
* care for their own bike
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Super Nanny has some additional tips/information on chores: (http://www.supernanny.com/Advice/-/Family-life/-/Home,-wo...)
1) Start ’em young : It’s the ideal scenario because toddlers and preschoolers love to be involved in whatever you’re doing, and to them trailing around with a duster is a great game. ….
2) Motivate them: Encouragement and rewards are much better motivating factors than nagging. Use a reward chart (draw it up as a chore chart) and award points for the jobs she’s finished properly. …. With older kids, show them how much you appreciate their help – reinforcing the importance of being responsible and productive.
3) Negotiate a deal: If your child is particularly resistant, listen to her reasons why she doesn’t want to do something and then explain why it needs to be done. This will help her see how it all fits into the scheme of things. Giving her a choice in the chores she does may help too – jot down what needs doing on some postcards and let her select two or three. There may even be something your child enjoys doing: is she a born organizer? Then get her sorting the laundry! Does she like the outdoors? Then get her to weed the lawn! The postcard method has an added bonus in that it highlights to kids all the work you’ve previously been doing on your own.
4) Whistle while you work! Show a positive attitude yourself when it comes to chores – huge sighs of boredom and frequent cursing may encourages kids to copy you when you ask them to help out. ….
5) Don’t criticize: … If they feel it’s impossible to please you they may just give up making the effort, period. …. Show them how things are done, step by step. If they get it wrong be patient and show them again – and if they get it right, be sure to offer lots of praise.
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Top 5 Store bought “Chore Charts” http://www.supernanny.com/Advice/-/Product-reviews/-/Chil...

Good Luck!

My son 'helps' me around the house right now as he is only 3yrs old. As he gets older I'll turn some of that into chores like picking up his toys, etc. My daughter is 9 and he has been getting allowance since she was in Kindergarten at 50 cents a week. 1st grade went to a dollar and now in 4th grade she gets 4 a week. When she goes into 5th grade it will be 5 a week. This is plenty of money for her right now otherwise I'd probably have every webkinz made in my house!!! As far as her chores, she feeds/water cats every day, empty small trashcans for trash day, dumps recycle into main bucket every day and has to put all the recycle to the curb for pick up. Straighten room (vacuum, dust, etc) and any other help around the house that is asked of her. Might be pick up sticks in the yard, sweep the porch off, help wash a car, etc.
I pay her at the end of the month since we do a bank draft from our checking account to a prepaid debit/atm card that our bank has for kids. She has a check book register that she uses to keep track of her money as well.
Tv/video games (computer, wii or neintendo), and computer are all limited in my house already and those things get taken away for discipline.

S.

my kids r 5,6,7. they have to put there clothes away, pjs, socks and undies.
they clean their playroom at night and help unload the dishwaher.
straiten up shoes, hang there jackets up, small stuff.

They get no allowance, but we have been doing this since they were little.
Best decision we have made, they r more responsible with there things.

my youngest has adhd(we think) and it is harder to get him to help, but if felt hes helping rather than being told, he loves it.

stick to it, moms cant do everything

Hi. I have 2 boys, ages 3 and 6. I designed chore charts for them and it's working great. Because their still pretty young I use star foil stickers and mark each day on their chart that they complete their list of chores. They each have a different list. My oldest has 6 chores that he has to do. Their very simple, but they make them feel like they accomplished something. My oldest has to hang up his coat, hang up his bookbag, put his shoes away, pick up the toys in the living room, tidy his bedroom, and brush his teeth before he goes to bed each night or he gets no sticker. For my youngest son there are only 4 chores. He has to put his shoes away, pick up toys in the dining room, tidy his bedroom, and brush his teeth.

These chores were already being done everyday long before I had idea of the chart. My boys have gotten so much better at picking up after themselves since we've started using the chart.

Behavior has also improved since we started with the chart. Most of the time, when I go to let the boys know it's time to pick up and go to bed, I walk in their room and they're already cleaning! It's awesome!

For their chart I made it look almost like a calendar (but with no dates so you can print out copies. I write the month at the top and number the calendar with a pen/pencil). On the left side of the calendar I listed their specific chores. My oldest son is a great reader, so he reads the list and makes sure he and his brother have all their chores done before bedtime.

I hope this was helpful!

I do alot of what shadowanna does.
I have four kids. Our chore chart rotates like this
Each child has a Cat Day, Dog day, and a kitchen day, then an off day.
On cat day the cat person feeds and scoops cat litter.
Dog day person feeds and cleans up any piles, we have three dogs and three cats.
Kichen day person does dishes
Off day person gets a day off.
This is for every day of the week except Saturday
On Sat, Cat person has two bathrooms to clean, toilets, sinks, floors and cat duties including completely changing litterbox.
Dog person has the Diing room and foyer along with dog duties.
Kitchen person has the kitchen including floors and countrs an then the computer room.
Off person gets the tv room and the piano room.
They all dust, sweep, and straighten up, pick up any toys, shoes, etc.
Also on Saturday they do therir bedrooms.
I started this when my youngest was in diapers. At that time he and my 4 year old helped out one of the others. now that the youngest is 9 I help him with dishes and sometimes cat litter but he can pretty much do the rest himself.
You will have to teach them how you want them to do it. Show them hwo to scrub the toilets and the sinks. Give them swiffer dusters to help them dust.
I do not pay my kids for houseowrk. I feed them and clothe them, plus it's usually their mess.
Each one of the kids has a color marker that I s on the calendar, so my 12 year old is pink, THere is a pink C on Monday for cat, a pink D on Tuesdayfor dog, and pink K on Wednesday (kitchen) adn then no pink on Thursday.
I may have to remind them to do chores but they do not squabble over whose day it is because they can see months in advance whose day is whose. I did the whole year.

My eldest 2 (6 & 4) take the trash out and sort the recycling (seperate the paper and plastic) , and take it out the night before collection. We give them $1 each/week for this.