What does your teen/s do to help?

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2005
What does your teen/s do to help?
9
Tue, 10-30-2007 - 1:56pm

Hi Everyone,


New here, and I'm hoping to get some ideas of what your teen/s are doing to help out around the house.

Avatar for heartsandroses2002
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 10-30-2007 - 2:05pm

Ever since my two girls were little, they've been involved in maintaining our home. When they were real little, they had a chore chart, which didn't really work out so well, so then I started making each their own list each week.


When they got to be young teens, I made a list of what chores needed to be done each Sat morning - that was cleaning day (I did pick up during the week) - and give it to them. They'd divvie up the list of chores and methodically get them all done so they could go do whatever they wanted to do for the day. That was the rule: Get the chores done first and then you get to do what you want to do (work before play, as my mom used to say!). It worked out very well.


Nowadays, at 18 and nearly 20, it's just a given that if they see something that needs to be done, they should do it. For instance, unload the dishwasher, clear the sink, tidy up the kitchen, scrub the tub, etc. They each do their own laundry after mine is done. If they choose not to fold it, that's their problem, not mine. Oh - and they will give the dogs a bath if I ask them. And dd20 is hardly every home now that she's a college student so much isn't expected of her.


I don't allow anyone else to do the floors as I am very picky about that and I love vacuuming...I don't know why.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-24-2007
Tue, 10-30-2007 - 2:50pm

Hi Joanna,


I'm new here too, but I thought I'd reply.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-09-2000
Tue, 10-30-2007 - 5:36pm

DD is 17.

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-14-2003
Tue, 10-30-2007 - 7:43pm
My dd's chores have changed since 14 as well. She's 17 now. Back then she was still getting a modest allowance ($10/week) but she started to refuse the allowance at around 15 b/c she had a job. I always taught chores like this: if you live in the home, you have a responsibility to maintain the home. If you live in the home and maintain the home, then you have a right to share in the finances of the home. So while the work and money are tied, they are indirectly tied. I know it's kinda confusing in a way, but I want them to know that the work is part of being a family and not a separate job. But the money is also tied to the work. Two different lessons. So, she has emptied and loaded dishwasher, cleaned kitchen nightly including cleaning the floor, cleans both bathrooms, changes and washes linens, does her own laundry and some of the family laundry as needed, used to feed and water pets (now little brothers do it, she is supervisor to this), clean litter box (now little brother), vacuuming, washing towels, and general tidying up when necessary. She also now does the majority of the grocery shopping for the family and helps with other errands and has always been responsible for babysitting as needed. I think that self-care, and contributing to the care of the family and household are extremely important developmental tasks.
Avatar for mjaye2002
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 10-30-2007 - 9:49pm

My 2 boys have always been involved with household chores.

Avatar for weberdns0
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-25-2000
Wed, 10-31-2007 - 10:06am
I'm flexible on chores.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2005
Wed, 10-31-2007 - 12:01pm

My son just turned 14 this month.

Community Leader
Registered: 12-16-2003
Wed, 10-31-2007 - 4:38pm
My dd is expected to do chores, and does get $10 a week, but not tied to chores.

Ramona  Mom to 2 great kids and wife to one wonderful hubby since 1990!

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-26-2007
Thu, 11-01-2007 - 12:44pm

My DSS (15) has lived with us since he was 10. Ever since the day he moved in he has had chores. We do not give allowance. One, because we believe that if he is going to be part of our family, then he should help out and Two, simply because we just cant afford it. His chores consist of : Cleaning his bathroom 2x per week (boys are messy and this is a shared bathroom with our guests) 3x per week he does the dinner dishes (which lately he had been relieved of because we have been doing allot of "make yourself dinner") he takes out the trash, cleans his room 1x per week (which consists of dusting changing sheets vacuuming and general pick up) and he does his own laundry (more so because he couldn't get his dirty clothes into the laundry room and I got tired of hearing "i have no clean clothes"). I built up these chores as he has gotten older it started with only one or two and then progressed from there.