Do you make your child do housework?

Question

I don't mean sweeping the chimney or washing all the dishes, but just pulling their weight a bit. When I do ask my daughter to pick up her toys or something it takes 10 times longer than if I'd just done it myself! Any tips?

Answer 1

no schools for doing work home is for chilling and gossiping homework should be banned in my opinion !

Answer 2

My son is 12 and has been washing up and putting his own clean clothes away since he was 9 ....he gets his pocket money for doing this jobs and yes things take longer but they soon learn to do it faster if they want to go out to play or watch tv

Answer 3

she will never get faster if mom just does it for her..  be patient maybe try to give her a reason to move faster when she is picking up her toys. (like timing her to see if she can beat her record form yesterday)

she will be so proud of herself when she does it all herself and mom praises her for it no matter how long it takes

Answer 4

I don't want to sound like Mary Poppins but trying making it fun! Singing or seeing who can tidy most away?

Let her have 'big girl chores' just like Mum.

But a messy house is a happy house I tell myself!

Answer 5

As most people have said yes, it is best for kids to learn to help around the house after all one day they will have their own home and will need to know what they have to do.

Try a star chart, if she succeeds in doing what you ask her give her a star, do not make it to complicated for her a couple of simple jobs each day to collect her stars and then at the end of a week or when she gets so many stars she gets a reward, it does not have to be expensive just something she will enjoy.

As she gets older you can add jobs to the list, persevere day in day out soon she will be doing things with out you telling her, you may have to stand over her for a while and point out things she has missed but do it in a nice tone rather than an angry tone.

Put some of her favourite music on so she can do it to the music,singing and dancing, do it with her the first few time,

say things like "If we can get this done in 10 Min's we can watch TV, go tho the park.

Another good idea start it 30 Min's before her favourite show and tell her TV only goes on when the job is done and let her know how long she has got, giving her an up date every 5 Min's.

Again give her the rewards but keep it simple.

Hope that helps.

Answer 6

Absolutely - the sooner they learn that you are not her personal servant the better - if she gets into the habit now then she might not be the s****. teenager she could be!!  I have four year old twin girls and am super strict about them tidying their own toys etc away - including pulling their beds together in the morning.  It might not be perfect, but at least they are making the effort.

The threat of a black sack has only been carried out on one occasion (put everything in it and put it away for a few days.  Once was enough!!  Since then I only have to rustle a plastic back to get frantic tidying going on!! The mention of it has them stampeding to their room to make sure everything is where it should be!!

Later they will be rewarded with pocket money for helping - instilling a work-ethic!!

It was the way both I and my husband were bought up and it hasn't hurt us or our siblings.

Answer 7

Yes, even if it takes my child 30 minutes to clean up after him self. He still has to do it.  I remind him the faster you do this, the faster you can do what you want.  Do not back down and the work for her.  Otherwise she may depend on you to do the work for her.  

I also take things away from my child when he does not do his chores.  Try telling you child that if you have to clean it up that it will no longer be available for her usage.  

Just remember do not back down.

Good Luck I help this helps you.

Answer 8

yes but make it like a play or a game

Answer 9

all kids take 10 times longer than mummy to clean up the toys.

what i get my daughter to do it 'wash' the cups in the sink while i get on with other housework it keeps her busy and out the way for a little while. (shes 3)

Answer 10

my 15 and 13 yr olds help a lot!

the younger 2 aged 6 and 2 don't at the moment!

Answer 11

not really, just don't give in or else you'll still be dong it when she's 28, i tdoes not matter how long i takes just that she finishes the job she was asked to do. My son who is 4 1/2 has to make his bed, just put it all neat, not actually put the sheets on, put  his clean laundry away, bring his dirty laundry down and empty his bin, he also has to tidy his toys after playing so it all tidy at the end of the day, he moans sometimes but i just let him get on with it in the hope that he wil soon realise that if he does it properly and quickly then he carry on doing what he wants and won't get yelled at!! when he does finish a job, no matter how long it took i always give loads of positive praise. and just think if she is taking 10 times longer than you to do her chores then maybe you will be able to get a cuppa in peace cos you have finished all your chores. good luck with it.

Answer 12

yes, give them small jobs they can manage and don't expect perfection. It's not about them doing it right it's about them learning responsibilities. She will get better as she gets older, the toy thing really isnt a big deal, you can do it together. I help my boy pick up his toys (he's 4) we sing a song and try to get it done by the time the song is finished I pick up a few small things and put them away and he is so busy singing and tidying he doesn't realise he has done most of the work.

Answer 13

yes my children have chores. I had asked my children three times to pick up their toys, the next time I told them that if they didn't pick them up, they will be threw out - well I picked and swept them up, put them in the trash - now all I have to do is ask them once to pick them up - no problem. My daughter was good at slamming her bedroom door also - until the day she slammed it once to often and I took it off the hinges. She has it back now. It all has to do with follow through - and not breaking down and giving in to them. Stand your ground, they'll get the message - by the way, I have never yelled or hit/spanked my children - I have used other methods such as the above examples and they work - threwing things out also work for cloths anything -

Answer 14

Yes I do!  I want my children to grow up to be self-sufficient adults one day, so I grit my teeth and ignore the fact that it's not perfect, wait it out and praise her to high heaven.  I also try to make it more fun instead of "chores" and we pick up our messes as we go - kind of.

Answer 15

yes, they have to work to earn their weekly pocket money, i had to do it, and it done me no harm,

Answer 16

I know it is difficult but patients is key if you dont do it now they wont learn to do it,  as hard as it is let them do it.

Answer 17

I dont think it does any harm to ask your kids to pick up after themselves. If you do the picking up for them then they will never learn to be independant.

Answer 18

ask her nicely if she can pick her toys up if she refuses then tell her she carnt play with them again. it might take longer for her to tidy them away  but its the principle that its her that needs to do it if she has something out she has to put it away believe me it does work my little boys always tidy up after themselves now because they know if they dont they wont get to play with them next time