It seems like ever since our daughter could walk and follow simple instructions, we have been giving her easy chores to do around the house. At first our conversations probably sounded something like this:
Mommy: Sweetie, can you please put your toy in that basket?
Child: {puts toy in basket}
Mommy: {smiling} YAY!!
Child: {claps and jumps with excitement}
At some point in that same child's life, after the initial joy of helping mommy and daddy wears off, it becomes a chore for them to do their chores!! I know in our household we have gone through many chore charts and reward systems through the years.
When she was little, we started out with things like: go potty, brush teeth, get dressed. Then she graduated to: make bed, clean room, clear table. Now that she's 7 1/2 we've added: empty dishwasher and dust.
We've also used many different rewards: stickers, loose change, prizes, and now we offer an allowance (which she separates between save, spend, and donate). There have always been consequences for not doing chores as well: no reward, time out, allowance taken away, etc.
Right now her daily chores include getting herself ready for the day, making her bed, cleaning her room, and performing one extra chore each day (she can pick her extra chore unless I have something specific for her to do). We don't even use a chart anymore, she just knows what she has to do (and if she doesn't I remind her). ;o)
What are the ages of your children and what chores do you have them do? What rewards do you give them? I'm sure there are some families struggling with this right now and would love to hear your ideas!
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