Chores for Kids - Georgetown,TX

Updated on November 28, 2010
L.K. asks from Austin, TX
17 answers

What chores do you have your kids do? I have a 14 year old and a 5 year old. Do you pay kids for chores? Or, do you pay them for chores they do outside of their regular chores? Do they have chores on a daily or weekly basis? Do you have consequences for them not getting the chores done?

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J.G.

answers from San Antonio on

My son is only 2.5, so no on the payment. He has to help me put the clothes in the washing machine, then to the dryer. After I get him dressed, he also has to put his dirty clothes in his hamper. He also unpacks the silverware (minus the knives) from the dishwasher and put them in the drawer (he doesn't sort them yet though). If he complains about having to stop playing to help me, I tell him that he must do this, or I'll take his toys he's playing with away. He often LIKES helping me, but sometimes doesn't want to stop playing.

WHen he's 5 he will likely no get paid for chores (we feed you, give you clothes, a home, etc), yes there will be consequences as there are now.

When he's 14, he'll likely be helping me with dinner, doing his own laundry, and being dad's shadow as they do yardwork or whatever other handy-man work there is to be done.

Hope this helps. LOTS of chore charts are online to print for free.

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J.T.

answers from College Station on

My boys are 13, 10 and 6, and they all have chores. They get $1 per chore per week, for a max of $10 a week. The 6yo has a max of $6. The older boys have 10 chores and the 6yo has 6. If they do not do their chores, they do not get paid. THere are chores that they have to do that they are not paid for. General cleaning up after themselves, keeping their junk out of the common areas of the house. They get paid for dishes, bathroom, sweeping and mopping the floor, vacuuming, cat box, yard work, weekly trash, recycling, their own laundry, those sorts of things. We rotate chores between the 2 older boys. I have a print out on my refrigerator.

Just how we do it in my house. I refuse to raise boys that can't take care of themselves.

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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

Nope we don't pay them
To us, this is normal... FAMILY responsibilities. Heck, nobody pays ME for doing it all. It is just responsibility. AND for the child.

our kids pick up their toys, put their laundry in the laundry basket, put away their clothes, help put away groceries, wipe the tables, clean up after dinner, my daughter mops and even helps me wash the windows.
It is daily.... but I don't expect "perfection" when they do it... as long as they try their best.... is good. I do not expect them to do it just like me.
The point of it, to me, for me... is that they HELP. And if I ask them for help with anything... around the house.... which can vary.

all the best,
Susan

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L.S.

answers from Spokane on

My girls are only 4 and 2.5 but they MUST tidy up their toys when done playing with them, put their dirty clothes in the hamper, take their dirty dishes to the sink. My 4 year old also has to empty her lunch bag after preschool.

I will often ask them to help with unloading the dishwasher, folding and putting away the clothes, dusting and putting away groceries but these are NOT mandatory - yet ;)

My feelings on chores is if you make them seem like a punishment then they will be done grudgingly and unhappily. If you make them part of life, then that's just the way things are done.

Our plan once our girls get older is to have set chores that are done because they live here and are part of the family. Then we're going to set up a chart with 'extra' chores and assign each one a monetary value. For example, I wouldn't expect my child to clean the toilet as part of their regular chores, but if they wanna do it for $0.50? Same goes for stuff like raking the lawn, washing the floor and other 'heavy' chores.

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M.M.

answers from Washington DC on

We have a chore chart. It's worked for about 7 years.
I have three kids at home, I've used this with four and the Foreign Exchange student.
I do not pay for chores The reward is a clean house and we can go do something fun, a movie, shopping, bowling. The consequnces are a messy house and no fun stuff.
Basic chores are done everyday. The whole shebang is done on Saturday.
I use a calendar..
Every child has his own color. I mark the calendar like this
C=cat D=dog K=kitchen
Starting the first day (7 years ago) Blue got C, the next day blue got D, third day blue got K
While Blue got C then Purple gets D, pink gets K. The next day purple gets K pink gets C. The kids now can look at the calendar and know who does what.
Sunday-Friday Cat chores=feed cats, scoop litter,
dog chores=feed dogs, take them out
Kitchen chores=dishes

On Saturday
CAT=completely change litter , sweep cat room (laundry room), vacuum and pick up hallway, clean downstairs sink and toilet.
DOG=vacuum, dust, clean windows in dining room, piano room and foyer
KITCHEN=clean kitchen, dshes, dust, vacuum tv room and pick it up.

My youngest was almost 3 when we started. They never argue, it;s all on the calendar. They are also expected to clean up their own rooms. I still help my 9 year old with some of the chores, but he does a better job than his 15 yo sister.

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S.P.

answers from Los Angeles on

14-year-old can have some significant responsibilities.
Whether you connect this with money or not
depends on what kind of money attitudes you have in your family.
My personal thought is that chores and allowance are separate categories.
Don't connect chores with being paid.
I think 14-year-old should be able to rely on regular income
so he can learn to budget, save, etc.
OTOH, you could work out a fines system for neglected chores.

About the 5-year-old . . . very simple chores,
with help/guidance from you and/or other famiily members.
For example, emptying the dryer,
possibly sorting his/her own clothes from the others and putting them away,
putting silverware and napkins on the table,
helping clear the table, emptying wastebaskets,
feeding pet(s) . . . I'll think of more after I send this off.
Thank you for asking this question here.

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M.J.

answers from Los Angeles on

We have our 16yo thru 8yo that due dishes each has their specific day. They are responsible to clear the table and wash the dishes for that night. Their rooms must be clean daily. I do not pay them for their chores, although they ask why not, and I reply that its their responsibilities. And you dont get paid for doing what is needed in OUR house. We all take responsibility in our household therefore a couple of chores wont hurt.
Now on the other hand, when the kids need money for football games or dances, or just wants a specific shoe. I will ask them to do extra around the house or some special project. Thats my way of teaching them that everything in life is not free and we need to work for the special things they may want.
Chores to me is just teaching they kids responsibilities, and good work ethic.
Good luck!

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H.A.

answers from Dallas on

Our oldest is 6, he has chores he's expected to do - and he's not paid for them. He picks up the living room when asked, always at least on every other Friday (we have a cleaning lady twice a month). He puts his clothes away - after Dad and I do laundry. He puts his dish in the sink after he eats. He washes off the dinner table. He helps with back yard clean up -- we get stray sticks from the trees, and my husband goes out twice a week and picks up after our two dogs - he helps. I have to ask him to do these things we don't have a set schedule.

I don't pay for these chores, those are pretty much his basic chores that he is expected to do as part of a family. Everyone has to pull their weight - that's part of being a family.

So far he doesn't have a regular allowance. If he did, I would definitely need him to complete a number of expected chores first that are "free" before the paid chores would kick in. Occasionally we give him money for doing something, and we pay for good report cards.

As for consequences for not helping... our oldest is really pretty obedient and helpful. Our nearly 4 year old is not this way, so I really have to stay on her to get her to pick up and help. I haven't really come up with any repercussions for not helping, other then staying on them and not allowing that -- or telling them to go to their room if they aren't going to help.

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D.S.

answers from Tulsa on

i do daily and weekly grounding if it is not done if they are real rebellious like my step sons you will have to get very creative. at 14 anything is game. especially trash , dishes, laundry, and sweep and mop these are all skills they will need to get a job. now the 5 yr old is trash only and put liners back in pickup his toys help carry in llight groceries. my 2 yr old does paper towels and toilet paper and that is big for him he really struggles with it.

get the 5 yr old a toy mop and broom and have her do it but dont expect perfection. picking up toys, cleaning off table of non heavy things and dont let her do anything you woudl get upset over if it got broken. wipe the table. she can start like cleaning the windows or wiping counters on a chair under super vision but dont expect it to be right till at least 7 then start heading them in the direction of right. I donot pay for chores I supply everything and that is how they pay me to do it. :) I was a single mom with my oldest and could not afford an allowance. 14 yr old needs to do it all.

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S.N.

answers from Louisville on

My oldest (12) loves to help in the summer with mowing and work outside so we pay pretty good when he helps out (he is going to get the money eventually anyway). All our kids are involved in sports and make good grades in school. I feel, at their age, that is there job. They have to help out with things but no set chores. Usually when we ask them to help out they do and if it is above and beyond what they would usually do we pay them.

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B.A.

answers from Austin on

Chores are a wonderful way to play with and teach children is to bring them into your world, where ‘real-life’ happens. Children love to do ‘grown-up’ things and to imitate you. And when they contribute, they see themselves as players and get a well-earned self-esteem boost! The link below provides more details.
http://blogs.goddardsystems.com/Cedar-Park-TX/2010/11/21/...

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L.M.

answers from New York on

My 14 & 15 yo -
make or assist with making dinner
set and clear table
load and unload dishwasher
vacumn
help with outdoor work, gardening and raking leaves
in the summer - clean the pool
in the summer - wash/clean the cars
keep their rooms clean
water plants
take dirty cloths down stairs, put away their clean cloths
take out recyclables (every other week)

No they do not get paid for chores. We all live in our house and we all have to help clean it and care for it. If there are any special projects we will pay them, but it's rare.

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R.K.

answers from Boston on

my kids are 3.5 and 9 and they do not get paid for regular chores. If they want (generally my 9 year old) to earn money they ask for extra chores like raking, shoveling, etc.

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A.H.

answers from Fort Smith on

I have an almost 7 yr old boy and almost 4 year old girl. My son has a chore list and on it has
Making his bed
Keeping his room clean
Feeding the dogs
Helping with laundry
Keeping his toys picked up
and I also have a spot just called Help for anything else I need him to do.
He gets an allowance for his chores. If he complaines about his chore, or he does it sloppy, he has to put an X on the bored and then he has to go back and do it right. If he does it right the first time, he puts a check and gets much praise from me. He gets paid for the checks he has on the board. I used to give him the option, either do the chore right or not get paid. There would actually be times he would choose to NOT make his bed or feed the dogs and not get his money. So I quickly stopped that. When he gets paid he puts at least 10% in one piggy bank for church, more if he wants. 30% for savings in a different piggy bank and the rest goes in his wallet. I used to just let him do with it what he wants, and every time he got paid he wanted to go to the store and blow it. So I made him start saving some to show him the value of saving up for something bigger that just HOT WHEELES, which he already has 2 huge tins full. If he want more money, he has to do more chores. And as he gets older, he get more money and more chores.
Personally I don't believe in giving a child an allowance, we don't just GET money, we have to work for it. So I want him to understand that money doesn't just come to us. I know this sounds like we might be planning way to far in advanced, But I've talked to my husband and we, well mainly me, believe totally in financial education. So, when my son, and then when my daughter, is 15/16 we are going to go over the household finances with him, at least for 5 months, and then hand it over to him. Now were not going to be stupid about it, we will check out with all of our bills, but I know it's important for him to know and understand that for him to go out on his own with no knowlege.
My in-laws didn't really talk to my husband about making a budget until he was moving out. They were always there to bail him out financially, so it has totally hindered him
I, totally different, started working at 14, working full time by 16 and although My family didn't have any sit down talks with me, they were not able to help me financially. If I wanted a $50 pair of shoes, I had to work to get the money to buy them. And Because I knew they couldn't bail me out, I just made sure to not get into a possition that I couldn't get myself out of.
So sorry this was so long, But because my husband and I were raised so differently when it comes to finances, I can see how important it is to have my children totally educated BEFORE they move out. Hope this helps

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C.D.

answers from Houston on

My parents gave us an allowance each week based on age and chores we were assigned. We got "raises" as we got older and took on more responsibilities. We only got our allowance if we completed the chores. If we refused to participate that week, we might not get as much t.v. time- or not at all. They really wanted to teach us what having jobs would be like and the consequences of not doing that job. I do not remember what the allowance amount was (this was back in the 80's) but I do remember being excited when I got a raise! My chores were dusting the living room and cleaning two bathrooms.

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R.L.

answers from Houston on

My 10 year old has regular chores he needs to do, like feed the dog, clean his room, and he does not get paid for these. Extra chores we do pay him for depending on the chore. Consequences for not doing his regular chores result in no privileges such as video games and TV.

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L.B.

answers from Austin on

6 yr old has expectations (clean room, make bed,etc) and an extra chore list. If she accomplishes 3 chores in a week on the extra list she receives $2. She does not get money otherwise. Her chores are brush cat/dog, sweep deck, garden chore, empty garbage in house, etc. Good luck!

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