One of the most important things James and I want to teach our kids is HOW TO WORK. What an important principle!!! However, it's much harder than it sounds, especially with such young kids. I find that it's much easier to throw the toys in a bucket and put their shoes and laundry away myself than nag them to do it for 20 minutes....BUT......what is that teaching them? So, in case any other mothers of young children need some ideas of good (age appropriate) chores for their kids to do, here are the fav's at my house.
1- Each of them clean their own rooms. (or toys in the living room.) Even Madison (2yrs old) can pick up toys and put them where they go. I'm kind of anal when it comes to "toy boxes", so each of my kids have different bins for different toys. (Cars in one box, playfood in another...etc.) It's great though, because even my littlest knows which bucket the toys go in, and it's much easier to find a specific toy they might want to play with.
2- Carson (5) and McKenzie(4) make their own beds BEFORE breakfast every morning, and I help Madison do hers. (Notice I said "help"....she has to do it with me or she isn't learning anything.) This one is sometimes hard for me because sometimes when they make it, it still looks like a mess to me (crooked blankets, wrinkled sheets, etc.). But I've learned to leave it, because they are so proud of doing it themselves, and that's what's most important.
3- Carson has a special job of cleaning/organizing the Hall "shoe" closet. Each kid has their own bucket where they put their shoes and more often than not, they get thrown in and mixed around, so every few days one of Carson's special jobs is re-organizing all the shoes. Simple, easy, and even a 5 year old can't mess it up!
4-McKenzie always wants to help me, so twice a week after I sweep and mop the kitchen floor, I give her the mop and broom and let her go to town in the upstairs bathrooms. She loves it, feels important doing it, and it's one less thing for me to bother doing!
1- Each of them clean their own rooms. (or toys in the living room.) Even Madison (2yrs old) can pick up toys and put them where they go. I'm kind of anal when it comes to "toy boxes", so each of my kids have different bins for different toys. (Cars in one box, playfood in another...etc.) It's great though, because even my littlest knows which bucket the toys go in, and it's much easier to find a specific toy they might want to play with.
2- Carson (5) and McKenzie(4) make their own beds BEFORE breakfast every morning, and I help Madison do hers. (Notice I said "help"....she has to do it with me or she isn't learning anything.) This one is sometimes hard for me because sometimes when they make it, it still looks like a mess to me (crooked blankets, wrinkled sheets, etc.). But I've learned to leave it, because they are so proud of doing it themselves, and that's what's most important.
3- Carson has a special job of cleaning/organizing the Hall "shoe" closet. Each kid has their own bucket where they put their shoes and more often than not, they get thrown in and mixed around, so every few days one of Carson's special jobs is re-organizing all the shoes. Simple, easy, and even a 5 year old can't mess it up!
4-McKenzie always wants to help me, so twice a week after I sweep and mop the kitchen floor, I give her the mop and broom and let her go to town in the upstairs bathrooms. She loves it, feels important doing it, and it's one less thing for me to bother doing!
5- My favorite job for my kids at this age is cleaning the base boards around the house. I give each of them a rag or magic eraser. Carson starts in one spot and goes one way, while Kenzie goes the other and they think it's so fun to clean and see when they meet back up! They do the whole house usually once a week. I usually give Madison a wet rag at the same time and tell her to wash the doors. Not sure how much good she does, but she can't be doing any damage, right?
6- I also make all three of the kids clean the backyard toys and organize their toys in the garage (bikes and scooters). They usually do a pretty good job, and like the excuse to go outside.
7-The two older kids always clear their dishes from the table when they are done, and use the little dust pan and broom to sweep under their chairs if they spilled. (After breakfast and Lunch.) I usually sweep the whole floor after dinner, but they do a good job cleaning up after Breakfast and Lunch for the most part.
8- All three of my kids help me put their laundry away. I wash, and fold, and then they each take piles to their rooms and put them in their drawers. Madison usually gets to take the piles of underwear, socks and pj's to the other kids (things that don't wrinkle). Sometimes they even love to help me fold the towels after I get them out of the dryer.
I think it is super important for me to teach my children this while they are young...even if sometimes it is more work for me. It's hard to know what kids can do and can't do and at what age to start doing some of these things, so I hope that gives some of you some good ideas of what your OWN children could/should be doing to help around the house.
If any of you have any other good ideas, PLEASE SHARE!! I'd love to hear what you all do at your home!
6- I also make all three of the kids clean the backyard toys and organize their toys in the garage (bikes and scooters). They usually do a pretty good job, and like the excuse to go outside.
7-The two older kids always clear their dishes from the table when they are done, and use the little dust pan and broom to sweep under their chairs if they spilled. (After breakfast and Lunch.) I usually sweep the whole floor after dinner, but they do a good job cleaning up after Breakfast and Lunch for the most part.
8- All three of my kids help me put their laundry away. I wash, and fold, and then they each take piles to their rooms and put them in their drawers. Madison usually gets to take the piles of underwear, socks and pj's to the other kids (things that don't wrinkle). Sometimes they even love to help me fold the towels after I get them out of the dryer.
I think it is super important for me to teach my children this while they are young...even if sometimes it is more work for me. It's hard to know what kids can do and can't do and at what age to start doing some of these things, so I hope that gives some of you some good ideas of what your OWN children could/should be doing to help around the house.
If any of you have any other good ideas, PLEASE SHARE!! I'd love to hear what you all do at your home!
9 comments:
These are great ones. I love the baseboard one too. The only other ones I add is Ethan has to empty the clean silverware, and Liam the pots and pans, and stack the plates on the counter. Oh, and practicing of course. :)
Cami I love this!! I don't have kids but when I do I will have them work. Greg's mom did everything for all the kids growing up and still does it, so non of her kids now how to clean and work. It bugs me so bad! I think learning how to work is so important. Way to go!
Thanks for the ideas! I need to do a better job with Bella for sure. She's just so slooooow that it drives me crazy. I just need to walk away and let her do it without my hanging over her perhaps. I think it will be a little easier when I have two little workers that can feed off of each other. I'm starting to have Natalie (17 mos.) wipe things with a damp cloth, and pick up toys, but that's about it.
I love this! I think kids are so much more capable that we give them credit for most of the time. One of my favorite "chores" to do with Mace is emptying the dishwasher. I do the glass or heavy stuff and knifes first and then he passes me everything else. It takes quite a while, but thats okay. I find that usually when I give Mace the chance to help me, he is more than willing! I love it!
Hey Cam! I like your suggestions, I totally agree that's its so much easier to just do all the work yourself! Its too important though, not to make them learn it. I also make my boys take turns unloading the silverware out of the dishwasher and matching it in the right slots in the drawers. I also have my boys (3 and 4 years old) take out the garbage together if the bags aren't too heavy. I wrote a big "R" on the recycling can and they know which garbage goes in which can. We leave a little step stool out by the garbage. Payson lifts the lid and props it open, then the two of them lift it up together and push it in. I like the baseboard idea! They're gonna love me even more now:)
You have been talking to your mom haven't you??! We were just talking about this on Sunday! I was telling her I didn't know what chores my kids were capable to doing and she was giving me a few suggestions. Thanks so much for this post. I will definately be using it as a guide! Very cute pictures too!
Haha! Don't you worry, I plan on taking millions of pictures of my little girl - it's my favorite thing to do. If I could just take pictures all day long, I would. Maybe I should try that career path eventually, huh? Haha. Plus, I'm hoping she'll be a little more willing to pose for me and dress up cute for lots of fun photo shoots. We'll see! Anyway, sorry about your lack of grass - that's rotten. I sure would miss it. I remember missing it so bad while I was in China. No grass and no carpet. I could have happily slept on my parent's carpeted floor when I got back and been perfectly happy.
What great ideas! We have a little chore chart for Cash (each day lists the everyday am and pm things he needs to do - like make bed, pick up toys, brush teeth, get dressed, etc. PLUS one additional chore like gather and take out garbage or help with laundry or empty dishwasher). Each day that he can cross off ALL his chores he earns a quarter. This money is what he can save up and get himself a toy with or a treat (this cuts back on the begging for something at the store too). Of course there are other things I ask him to help me with - with the explanation that we all have to pitch in to make our home a happy place to be (or I pull out the principle that Jesus is much happier with us when we choose to obey and he even asks us in the scriptures to have "a house of ORDER, a house of prayer, a house of fasting...) :)
You amaze me! What a great mom you are. I don't know if it's just my kids, but I have tried and still continue to try to get them to work, to keep their rooms clean (on their own) to help with the yard and house...and they do it, but only after being told 3 or 4 times. I find myself constantly ornery with them b/c I would just love to have my house STAY clean and it seems like I am the only one who cares to keep it that way. It's too much for me to do on my own and I feel like I get no help. I know they all know better, they just don't DO it...or care, so I am nagging. always nagging. I even have a bag of clothes sitting in my closet (that I keep adding to) from the girls who leave their clothes on the bathroom floor...do they care or miss them? They don't seem to. It's very frustrating....ugh!
Post a Comment