Children's chores and what they teach them about responsibility

I have a list of chores for my boys and every day they have to make their way through the list before they can play games. Not only does giving them chores make my job a little easier but it also teaches my boys about responsibility. 



Making their bed


Both LP and BP have to do this in a morning after getting up. For LP I don't expect him to get it perfect but as long as his quilt is in the right place and neat then I'm happy. BP is expected to make sure his bed is made properly. 

Making their bed is becoming part of their morning routine and teaching them to keep their own things neat and tidy.



Opening their curtains


Letting the morning sun into the bedroom first thing in the morning is the easiest way to wake yourself up. Either before or after making their bed they have to open their curtains, not only does it allow light into the bedroom and help them wake up but it adds to the morning routine. 




Tidying their bedroom


The boys' bedrooms are their own areas, they keep toys in there, they have books they like to read. On occasion their bedrooms end up with toys all over the floor or books piled on the floor. I like them to make sure their bedroom is tidy by the end of the day so that they don't have any trouble getting in or out of bed. If they didn't tidy their room and tried to get up during the night they would probably end up tripping over a toy and hurting themselves.



Taking dirty plates away


While I don't expect my boys to wash the dishes (we have a dishwasher) I do expect them to take their dirty plates into the kitchen. Leaving their plates on the table or on the sofa is not an option. 



Empty their washing basket


Again I don't expect them to wash their own clothes but taking their dirty clothes into the utility room helps me. It makes it easier for me to get through my washing quickly rather than trawling through the house trying to find dirty clothes. My boys do this about once a week or so, they simply carry their basket into the utility room and empty it onto the floor. 


There are certain chores I can't expect LP to do, he's only 7 so he can't do some. BP on the other hand can manage a lot more.



Vacuuming


Every few days I'll ask BP to do the vacuuming, while he does that LP will go around and make sure there's no small lego pieces that will get hoovered up. They work together (for the most part) in doing this chore.




Putting the bins out


On bin day I ask BP to put the bins outside the gate, it takes just a few minutes but it helps a lot. 



Getting your children to do chores may sound like a mean thing to do, especially if you're a stay-at-home mum, but it teaches them. My boys realise that I work hard at keeping the house tidy and by keeping their rooms tidy and doing their chores they're helping. They see the work it takes to keep a house tidy, they see the daily routines. 

When they grow up and have a house of their own it will be much less of a shock when they have to do all the chores themselves. By giving your child chores you're teaching them how to take care of themselves when they're older.

Do your children do chores?

Children's chores and what they teach them about responsibility. Do your children do chores?


By getting the children to do chores you get to enjoy more time for you!

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