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My Dilemma – Getting My Kids To Do Chores
By Amy | December 17, 2007
One dilemma many parents face is chores: what kind, how many, at what ages, and rewards or consequences.
I am trying to figure out a better system to motivate my boys to do the things they really do need to be doing and a reward/consequence system that really works.
I know we all have different opinions…how many chores or what responsibilities are too much for children? Or not enough? And how should they be rewarded? And how much?
Right now, Mel (my 12 year old) is responsible for taking out the garbage. Taking it out of the house and putting the cans on the street on trash days.
Lamont (my 10 year old) is to clear the table and unload the dishwasher once the dishes are clean.
They are both responsible for cleaning their bedrooms, their game room, picking up their dirty clothes (and making sure they end up in the laundry room) and they each have one day per week that they are SUPPOSED to clean their bathroom and the downstairs bathroom.
(I buy the Clorox cleaning wipes so it really shouldn’t be a hard thing to do….just wipe down the sink, toilet and tub with the wipes!)
When they were younger Using an “I can do it chart” (shown above) worked a lot better. It still somewhat works for Lamont, but Mel being a preteen is a whole other story …
I’d like to motivate them with money…kind of like a wage and kind of like an allowance. The idea behind this is to teach them money, shopping, and savings skills. The problem is…I still find t-shirts and socks behind my couch and in the bathroom and on the stairs…
Oh, and I have mentioned how thier bathroom looks? I have to go in there at least every other week and basically clean it myself (the whole time lecturing them on how this is THEIR job, not mine) … but it doesn’t seem to be working for me!
Ok, so why don’t you share what has or hasn’t worked or what you are trying now? What chores are your child(ren) responsible for (and their ages)? Do you reward them for doing their chores? What is the consequence for NOT doing them? If so, how much, if not why not? Either way, please share your view(s) on the subject!
Until next time,
Amy
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