Poll on Chores

Updated on June 27, 2013
K.S. asks from Fort Lauderdale, FL
31 answers

How many moms
1. Have their Kids take out the trash
or
2.Load the Dishwasher
or
3. Both

And How many moms or dad had those chores growing up?

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A.C.

answers from Boston on

I set and cleared the table and did the dishes (no dishwasher). My brother put out the trash and cleaned the litter box. Personally I think I got the better end of that deal, but it was what we both agreed on.

My daughter does dishes, (still no dishwasher), the trash, the litter box because it's her cat, whom she is also responsible for feeding, plus she does her own laundry. I do everything else unless she's looking to make some money then I'll pay her to do extras. She gets no allowance for chores, she lives here so she helps. No one pays me to do my part so....

2 moms found this helpful
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M.G.

answers from Seattle on

My daughter does the above listed and more. She is being taught that no matter what everyone must work together whether it be in a home, school or monetary employment environment.

I did not have regular chores but rather was expected to clean the entire house minus my parent's bedroom as well as do all of the laundry, cook, and babysit without compensation.

2 moms found this helpful
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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

My kids help with those.
I did not load the dishwasher as a kid, we didn't have one.
But I had other chores.

Then, the other question is:
How many Husbands.... do "chores" in the house or help with the house/kids/routines?
LOL
Or is it just the kids, that have to?
Because, sometimes the kids are "expected" to do chores in the house... but the Husband/Dad, does not.
Hmmm.....

2 moms found this helpful

More Answers

L.A.

answers from Austin on

First of all as a child they were not called chores, they were just our responsibilities. We are all members of the house and when you saw that something needed to be done, we were supposed to step up and take care of it.

My mom used to say, without our help, she would not be able to keep OUR home clean..

She might remind us, I noticed the trash is getting full...
She would thank us for clearing the table and filling the dishwasher.

She would have me start dinner when I was in 4th grade.. She would thank me for helping..

You get the idea.. She told us, if we saw something tht needed to be taken care of, then do it..

She would announce.. "tomorrow is dusting day, who wants to do the living room? The den? "

She would carry the clean laundry into the tv room and we would all fold while watching TV..

She would say, hey, check on the wash and see if it needs to be put in the dryer.. We knew this meant, if you move it to the dryer, put a new load into the wash.. And that meant if it needed to be hung up instead of being placed in the dryer, then hang them up.

3 moms found this helpful

T.S.

answers from San Francisco on

Nobody loads the dishwasher but me because I am particular about that. Same with laundry, they start washing their clothes around 13 but I wash and fold everything else.
They can unload dishes and put them away, and they can, and do, take out the trash, feed/water pets and plants, help me unload groceries, help with dinner and of course clean up their own messes.
I never had chores growing up but my family was irresponsible and dysfunctional so I don't use them as a role model.

1 mom found this helpful

A.G.

answers from Dallas on

My boys do both of those and many other chores. I did those things, too. We don't pay the boys for doing chores.

*As for the dishwasher, we are all responsible for putting our own dishes in the dishwasher.

1 mom found this helpful
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M.R.

answers from Seattle on

My kids can and do:

Sort laundry since they know their colors, and can stand next to the washing machine with me. They are really just mimicking, but they become so good at it that my kids, now 11 & 14 are the youngest, can do laundry without me. :)

Set the Table
Unload the dishwasher and put away ( I load)

And I did waaaaaaaaaaaaay more chores growing up.

Collect trash from around the house and take it out
Separate the recycling into different bins
Sweep the flors
Vacuum the stairs
Put away their own laundry
Scrub the toilets
Feed the pets

My son makes Mac N Cheese on the weekends
My daughter packs her own lunch

1 mom found this helpful
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M.J.

answers from Sacramento on

Our kids do both. I had to do those and more as a kid. However, I also didn't have homework in elementary school, either. That cuts into a huge amt. of time each day, so it's a lot harder to offer a big list of chores.

1 mom found this helpful
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E.C.

answers from Los Angeles on

In out house the trash is Daddy's "chore". And I am the *only* one allowed to load the dishwasher! lol

My kids are all under 7 so they do chore that are more "self" centered right now: taking their clothes to the hamper, clearing their plates to the counter, keeping their rooms clean, putting away their toys, putting away their clean clothes that I've folded....stuff like that. When we do a big family clean, then everyone pitches in and helps out.

When I was a kid, both my parents worked full time and I was pretty much in charge of the house and my two younger sisters.

1 mom found this helpful
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J.K.

answers from Kansas City on

my kids do both, and a lot more. I had those chores growing up, and a lot more. My mom attended college when I was in grade school, at night, and we were expected to keep up the house, cooking, everything. My dad was right there with us too, but I think it builds character!!

1 mom found this helpful

X.O.

answers from Chicago on

My son loves to load the dishwasher and to help take out the trash. He is 6.

My 4 yr old likes to help me unload the dishwasher, and to bring the empty garbage can up from the curb on garbage day.

They aren't their chores, right now, but will become them some day.

When I was a kid everyone had to help take out the trash on garbage day. We didn't have a dishwasher, so we 3 oldest kids had to hand wash and dry/put away the dishes every night.

1 mom found this helpful

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

Our son does both and has since he was about 7.
He also helps bring in and put away groceries and takes the trash can to the curb on collection day and vacuum.

I did all that plus mowed the lawn, raked leaves, shoveled snow (sidewalk and driveway), tended the garden, washed cars (inside and out), cleaned the bathroom and hand washed/dried dishes (I was 16 when my Mom finally got a dish washer).
We never got an allowance (nor does our son).

1 mom found this helpful
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H.W.

answers from Portland on

My son is six and he helps every week with taking out the recycling. He also helps set/clear the table, help the cat in/out (door service!) and takes care of his room/toys/clothes, etc.

We don't have a dishwasher and frankly, most of our dishes are old and very breakable, so I do them. Growing up, I started doing the dishes regularly when I was about 8 and then it was a standard chore. Only one of our houses had a dishwasher, but even then it was my stepfather's prerogative to 'save water' and we did the dishes in the sink anyway. But we took out the trash, cleaned the catbox/dog poo in the yard, ran/folded laundry, swept floors, vacuumed the house, changed linens, scrubbed bathrooms, etc by the time I was about 11 or so, and then ironing/mopping/making dinner was added to that as I got older. My mom worked full time from about 11 or so, and my sister and I had to step in. My stepfather didn't really 'do' housework so much as assign it.

And no, we weren't paid for any of it.

SH, in answer to your question, my husband is very good about helping out where help is needed. We alternate nights for dinner dishes/bedtime duty, he wheels out the trash/recycling bins if they aren't out already, is good about sweeping the kitchen if he sees it's needed, moves laundry from washer to dryer at night (which I hate doing, would far rather fold, thanks) and if there's a task only he can do, he will. And he's the house IT guy, which can't be fun for him as that's what he does all day at work. But he doesn't complain.:) He's awesome!

1 mom found this helpful
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S.H.

answers from Killeen on

I didn't do either growing up(at least not on a regular basis) but my kids take turns doing both.

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M.S.

answers from Salinas on

My kids, boy and girl, have done both to some extent since they were about 8 yrs old. First it was on occasion, now they pretty much do it most of the time.

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T.S.

answers from Washington DC on

1 or 3

DS takes out the trash 100% that's his job, no one else's.

He loads some, but not all of the dishes, so I don't consider that HIS chore, since someone else still has to do quite a bit of it.

He does lots of other chores though. According to him he does "everything around here!" He's an only child, so he kind of does :)

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A.R.

answers from Dallas on

3. Both, sort of. They unload the dishwasher because I am uber picky about how it is loaded, so I load it.

I unloaded the dishwasher as a child.

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M.E.

answers from Houston on

Our son takes care of the garbage, our daughter handles the dishes. There are times both of them are enlisted for yard work or other housework such as laundry, bathrooms, sweeping, dusting - basically whatever we ask them to do. And, yes, there is some complaining from time to time - they are teenagers.

When I was young, in addition to the chores listed above, my brother and I had to trim (weed-whack) the yard with scissors. Yep, by hand, sitting on the ground for hours - around the patio, along the fence, around every tree and bush. But that was way better than scrubbing the decorative white rock, and we had a lot of it, with toothbrushes. I grew up hating "white rock day". Can't stand to even see the stuff at the home improvement stores either. LOL!

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K.B.

answers from Detroit on

I was expected to keep my room reasonably neat and clean, to collect all the trash from the small trash cans (i.e. bathrooms) for trash day, and to keep sticks picked up in the yard so my dad could mow the grass (we had a lot of trees). Once my mom was back to work and I was home alone after school (age 13) I was expected to unload the dishwasher and load whatever happened to be in the sink back into it. I also had to remember to stick dinner in the oven on time so it would be ready for when my parents got home. My mom didn't expect me to actually clean anything, maybe because she was so picky about how it was done that she never felt like the job I did would be adequate. Personally, I think that was a mistake, since when I had to start my first job and it involved a lot of cleaning, I was somewhat clueless, but I quickly learned.

K.A.

answers from San Diego on

We split things up depending on how old/how able everyone is able to do things. My 9 year old is responsible for emptying all the little trash cans in the bathroom and bedrooms into a trash bag and putting it on the doorstep where either the 12 year old or my husband runs it out to the trash can outside, he can not reach the fence lock to get to the trash cans. My husband runs out the kitchen trash and recycle. My 12 year old is responsible for loading/unloading the dishwasher. My 9 year old is responsible for going around the house looking for cups, food isn't allowed anywhere but 2 rooms but cups of water end up everywhere.
Everyone is responsible for making sure all their dirty clothes go in their hampers in their rooms. I or my husband carry it downstairs. I am responsible for getting all the laundry washed and dried and folded, everyone is responsible for putting their clothes away.
My 4 year old helps a little bit with dishes and laundry as she can but it certainly isn't something she's completely responsible for at this point.
Everyone is responsible for putting their trash in a can and dirty dishes in the sink.
Growing up I had a lot of the same chores as did my husband.

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N.K.

answers from Miami on

My daughter doesn't have any chores, but she is 7, so I am not sure if it is too early. The trash is too heavy for her, I don't trust her to load/unload my porcelain dishes and glasses made out of glass in the dishwasher either. I do make her clean up and put her toys away if she has taken them out and I have taught her recently to take her own dirty clothes into the dirty clothes hamper before the shower. When is the right age to start chores anyway? When is the right time/age to trust your kids won't break the glasses or the dishes?

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J.G.

answers from Chicago on

I had chores, and then if I wanted pocket money, I could clean the whole house for 20 bucks.

Our chores were the dishes and the garbage.

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C.C.

answers from Dallas on

I had to vacuum, dust, do the dishes (we didn't have a dishwasher), take out the trash, iron my Dad's shirts and keep my room clean. I'm sure there was more I had to do but it was so long ago I can't remember :). I think all children need to do chores. Everyone in the family needs to do their part.

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S.B.

answers from Kansas City on

my kiddo is only 6, but she's soon to be getting the dishwasher as a chore. She's been helping me load it more and more and is almost ready to do it alone. She's not strong enough to empty the trash yet, but she will. She does pick up her own toys/books/etc, and help with other chores but other than keeping her room neat she doesnt have specific chores yet.

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A.H.

answers from Fort Smith on

My 9yr old is responsible for both and much, much more.
My 6 yr old helps when is asked, but as soon as she can reach to put up all of the dishes, it will be her responsibility.

I didn't really have to many chores when I was growing up so it made it harder for me when I was out of the house and now had all of these responsibilities that I wasn't used to.

Keep Your Sanity: Teach Them To Clean by Mary Heart is a good book that teaches how to get your kids to clean with good attitudes, keep them from trashing the house to begin with and helps determine what chores should be for what ages of kids. If you haven't read it, I recommend it.

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❤.M.

answers from Los Angeles on

Dad takes out the trash. I do, too, when needed.

SD does dishes & that's all we have her do.

Lil Tyke has to put his toys away. For the moment that is all he has to do.

I had certain chores as a kid: make bed, clean up room, put away toys,
water grass, wash dishes, clean bathroom, help vacuum & I think that is about it.

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B.C.

answers from Los Angeles on

I was the dishwasher when I was a kid.

3. My kids were dish washers and took out the trash. My grandkids load the dishwasher and they take out the trash if they are 6 years old or older.

You didn't ask, but they set the table, clear the table (5&+)
feed the dog (4&+)
pull weeds in the garden (5&+)
Fold the washed and dried clothes (5&+)
put the washed dishes away (6&+)
Vacuum (6&+)

Good luck to you and yours.

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J.K.

answers from Wausau on

1 - mine take out the trash and recycling quite often.

No one loads the dishwasher except me. It isn't because they won't, but because I'm particular about how it is done. My husband unloads it and puts the dishes away.

When I was a kid, my brothers took out the trash. We didn't have a dishwasher. I washed dishes sometimes, but mom actually preferred to do it herself because it was faster.

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M.W.

answers from San Francisco on

Both...and then some more.

C.V.

answers from Columbia on

3.

And a whole lot more. My kids do most of the chores in the house. To include their own laundry.

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P.N.

answers from Denver on

I had no set chores as a kid.

Our oldest son takes out the trash every time it needs to go. He has to be reminded every time :)

Our daughter cleans the kitchen 5 nights out of every 7 for a small allowance.

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