Step Talk

I have two BS and they helped me set the table and pick up the dishes.
they had to make their bed, and pick up there toys, and they were in kindergarten..I know evil evil...

they had scheduled chores to and things they could do "extra" if they wanted to earn money.

“You will never be on top of the world
if you try to carry it on your shoulders.”

My daughter is five and she doesn't have "chores," but she does pick up her toys, put her dirty clothes in the laundry hamper and clear her dirty dishes from the table. My son is ten and he empties the upstairs wastebaskets, feeds/waters the dog, poop scoops the yard, puts away his clean laundry, brings the laundry hamper down from upstairs, cleans his room, empties the dishwasher as needed and sometimes helps me fold clothes and helps his dad rake leaves. My skids are aged 12 to 16 and they all help out when they are with us with whatever needs done... sweeping the floor, keeping bedrooms clean, picking up after themselves, vacuuming, helping with the dishes after dinner, etc. The younger you get them started with age-appropriate chores, the less of a struggle it will be when they get older. Even a toddler can help put their toys away.

♥ Georgia ♥

"Good men don't just happen. They have to be created by us women." (from ROSEANNE)

My kids have had "chores" since they could walk - from putting away toys, to helping fold laundry (gave a 2 year old socks to fold), bringing groceries in from the car, scouping cat poop, making their beds, putting clothes in laundry basket, put away clean clothes, set the table, clear their dishes, and the list goes on - they can do extra stuff to earn money or to get to do extra stuff like go to a movie or have a friend sleep over.

I used to give the kids an allowance but I stopped it after I had to keep reminding them to do their chores. Now they just do chores and I give them money when I feel they have been doing their chores without too many reminders.

Skids do chores since the day we got married. The kids were 6,7, and 11 at the time. They all do something.

"Better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt"

and I have chores for her. She cleans her room, helps empty the dishwasher, vaccuums, and sometimes I'll have her help dust. And she gets an allowance for helping out.

FSS groans about chores, but when he's here we have him help, noone else is going to teach him personal responsibility, might as well be us.

My step-kids don't do ANYTHING when they are visiting us, and it completely drives me crazy. They are 10 and 7, and until I moved in, their father waited on them hand and foot. I finally have him convinced that they should be doing some things on their own. They now make their beds, put dirty clothes in the hamper, and clear their dinner places, but I believe they should be helping out so much more. Dad isn't much of a help, though, as he still does simple things like serve them water because they are too lazy to get up themselves and pack their backpacks for school because they "don't feel like it". Oh, and I finally made them start dusting and vacuuming. They LOVE me! Not.

Bottom line: kids should start helping out as soon as they are old enough to be using things like toys, etc. If you don't ever teach them, they're going to grow up feeling "entitled," no one is going to want to be around them, and they won't be able to run their own house, so they'll be living in your basement forever waiting for you to do their laundry and bring them a sandwich. (When I painted this picture to my husband, the simple chores above were implemented...)

My SD/20 never does work around the house. She has been known to get up and take the dishes from the dinner table to the sink. If I leave the kitchen to let her finish washing up, she stops. The martian (her mom) NEVER does ANY house work. When she came to stay with us a year ago (preggo) - we went to pick her up. She was staying with her BM and her BF (SD's BF). The place was filthy - it stank. When we got home (five hours later) I made her take all of her clothes down stairs to the basement and wash them. They stank. It was disgusting. She has not been required to do chores or participate in housework by either her mother or her father.

Only recently has DH started to enforce the issue. She MUST wash her baby's clothes (for I surely won't), she MUST clean her baby's dishes, (for I surely won't) and she MUST keep the cat box clean (or the cat will find a new home). When I have suggested that she help - DH tells me she can't, she has a headache, she has to watch the baby, she needs some time to herself.

Lately - I find - I require HIM to do chores. This seems to have had a trickle down effect. Who knows? He just called, he is cooking dinner tonight, and I'll eat it.

I started this as soon as she turned 4. She has to help pick up the living room, put her dishes next to the sink after she eats, and feed and water the cat every night (with my assistance, of course). I plan to add one chore a year, to increase her level of responsibility and ability to someday be a self-sufficient adult.

Chores aren't all about making someone do work, I wish our husbands could understand that. SD15 doesn't even know how to do laundry. She washes one load of towels a week (on cottons), and when she washes her own clothes she puts them on the same setting and dries them on cotton as well. I guess she may or may not figure it out when everything has shrunk!