Responsibilities

Can I send you my 22 year old? She seems to think she is a guest in the house when she comes home from college!

My boys are 9 and 11...

Since they were 5 - here are the responsibilities they have:

Greg:

Empty trash cans in house and take to garage Wednesday and Sunday evening.
Get drinks ready for meals (pour and set on table)
make bed (strip it too)
pick up toys (this has been since he was probably 18 months) to include nerf guns, ammo, etc. and put them away.
Bring dirty laundry to laundry room and help sort if asked.
Put clean laundry away (I usually have it folded for them but they do know how to fold).

Nicky
Set the table for meals (plates, knives, forks, spoons (if necessary) and napkins - place mats, etc.
Pick up toys and put away
make bed (strip it too)
Bring dirty laundry to laundry room and help sort.

Both know how to make a grilled cheese sandwich, boil water for hot dogs, make "hot dog houses" (bread, cheese hot dog in toaster/oven) and other things...they help me in the kitchen when making cookies, etc.

After meals are over they are to "police" their area and take their plate and cup/glass to the sink, throw the napkin away and make sure no food is on the floor.

Oh yeah - I have a Hoover Linx vacuum cleaner that they know how to use as well. They help me with some house hold chores as well.

EDIT: They are to walk the dog every night as well - as a team. They are to ensure his food and water bowls are good at all times!

My 6 yr daughter puts her dishes by the sink, dry vac the floor in the dining room after we eat, helps fold laundry, dust, clean bathrooms, washes windows, sometimes helps cook, and pick up toys.

My 3 yr daughter takes her dishes to the sink, feeds the cats, sometimes dry vac the floor, dusts fold laundry..usually hand towels, and help keep the toys picked up.

My children's chores were the same as yours, when they were that age.

Now, my son is 12. His chores consist of:
clear and wipe the table after meals
sweep the kitchen floor
tidy his room and make his bed
collect his belongings throughout the rest of the house and put away
dry dishes that I can't fit into the drainer to dry
clean out a litter box (we have two)
strip sheets weekly and put clean sheets on bed
help with laundry (he'll do a load, I'll do a load)
put away clean clothes
empty the bedroom wastebaskets
mow the lawn

My (almost) 9 yo daughter's chores:
Tidy room and make bed
unload silverware from dishwasher
gather her belongings from rest of the house and put away
clean out a litter box
set the table for meals
feed the cats
strip sheets weekly and put in laundry, help me put new sheets on
put away her clean clothes
On Saturdays, take a Clorox wipe and wipe the doorknobs in the house

I have my 9,7, and 4 yo doing some chores each day. There is of course the standard getting yourself dressed/ready for the day, and they all get their own breakfast. The 4yo is responsible for feeding the dog (with reminders and supervision of course), he also helps clean his room (he shares with 9 yo brother), and he puts his dishes in the dishwasher after meals (they all load their own dishes and the two oldest unload it). My 7 yo daughter cleans her room (3x/wk), helps clean the family room in the basement (2x/wk), waters the plants and washes the windows (both 1x/wk). She loves washing the windows, mostly where the dog nose prints are like front and back glass doors and front bay window. My 9yo also cleans his room and family room. He vacuums 1x/wk, and takes the recycling to the garage and helps my husband bring the trash/recycling out to the curb. They work together to clean the bathroom 1x/wk (except I still do the toilet). They have all been doing laundry this summer too. At first we did it all together, but yesterday they did a load completely by themselves. The only problem was they overstuffed the washer, so I had to remove a few towels. They sort and start the wash on their own, I tell them when it is time to move it to the dryer. Then I help them fold and they put away. They only get about one load done on their own, but at this point it is more about learning the skill than anything else. They each choose the menu for at least one dinner a week and help me make it. Not so much a chore but a fun time together and they are learning more life skills.
My husband didn't do much growing up, had never loaded a dishwasher, cooked, or done laundry before college. I intend to teach my kids the skills they will need to live on their own. Sometimes now it is still just as much, if not more, work for me to teach them than it would be to just do it myself, but I know it will pay off in the end for all of us.

All the things you mention, plus an extra chore every day. Setting the table, pouring drinks for dinner, emptying/loading the dishwasher (using a chair to get to higher cabinets), doing laundry (also with a chair). I don't let their height be an obstacle!! They wiped down the trash can, fed the dog, etc. Now all my kids except the 2 year old do their own laundry (each person has a designated weekday that is their laundry day). And my 2 year old helps with his too! I think you can make chores fun for kids and really give them the sense that they are participating in taking care of the family.

Sorry, I don't remember. I've always had them help with things, though. Now they're 16, 13 and 11, and they help out a lot, without complaining!
I do remember having my oldest put his stuffed animals on his bed after I made it, when he was about 2. One morning he came to get me with a mischievous grin, wanting me to see his bed. He had lined all his stuffed animals up on the bed, facing the wall! He still has that silly, dry sense of humor!

My 8 year old is in charge or her own room and bathroom, her cat(feeding and litter box, and cleaning up accidents), folding and hanging up her own clothes, sorting 5 outfits for the school week complete with socks (in a cubby), bringing the trash cans in from the street, bringing out the recycling and putting it in the recycle bin (actually she gets my 2 year old to help her with that), cleaning the porch, folding dishrags. Sometimes she will fix herself snacks, pb &j, pizza rolls, salad, etc, but she likes to do that.

Both my 8 year old and my 2 year old brush themeselves, put their own clothes on, put their own plates, glasses and silverware onto soak and they both help me set the table.

Sometimes my oldest helps me change a diaper.

My 6 y/o cleans her room, makes her bed, cleans up her spot after dinner. I also have a rule to clean up any toys anywhere before bed. I pay her $1 to clean up her little brothers stuff, because he doesnt listen.
We pick out her outfit together, I iron it and lay her clothes out for her, she gets dressed.
I dont want my kids messing with food in the kitchen unless we are cooking together, so for now, Im doing all the meals.
They make too much of a mess. :)
Sometimes she will throw pee diapers out in the trash for me, but not poop. ;)

Clean their room,
pick up their toys inside and outside,
put their dirty clothing where it belongs,
make their bed (or attempt),
set the table and put the items that need to go back in the fridge there when done eating,
they also get input for dinner ideas. When I am out of ideas of what to make the kids help come up with great ideas that I would have never thought of. It also makes them happy because they get what they want to eat. :)

My kids started doing chores at 4 and 5.

At 6/7 they were washing dishes, putting them in the dish drainer and putting away the ones they could reach. They helped bring in the groceries when I went shopping. They fed the dog and took out the trash. They helped set the table and everyone cleaned off their own plates. and serving dishes. They were responsible for keeping their rooms clean and their dirty clothes in the dirty clothes hamper. Of course they didn't do all those jobs all the time, just when it was their week to do so.

Good luck to you and yours.

My daughter is only 5 but this is what her responsiblites:

Clean up after herself; this includes after meals, after playing with something, after changing clothes or anything that she does. Now with cleaning her room sometimes I have to help by telling her what to do first or she gets too overwhelmed, we really need to cut down on toys.

Cereal, my daughter can get it if she stand on the step stool if it is out. Otherwise I at least get it down for her. She pours it, of course if we are running behind or lacking time I pour a bowl for her let her know it is on the kitchen table and to eat while I take a shower.

For the most part my daughter can get herself a healthy snack, all other snacks are up too high for her to reach so when she is allowed a treat then I have to get it for her.

My daughter is an only child so always helps set the table. When I was growing up there were four of us, my mom had us all help for every meal starting at age 4. One set the plates, one the silverware, one the glasses, on gets out the drinks/condiments need for the meal. We all took turns doing each one.

Bookbag my mom always had us do it starting in kindergarten, but she would check it everyday until we were in fourth grade. She would mention if we forgot to do something or missing something but if we did not follow through after she told us it was our learning lesson after that.

Other chores, well my daughter oddly likes doing chores and asked to have a simple chore at age 3.
-- She helps me dust
-- fold laundry (sometimes I refold what she does, sometimes not)
-- she helps sweep if she made the mess (something we do together but it is teaching her the skills to do it herself some day)
-- help take out the garbage (obviously not the large bags but the bedrooms & bathrooms have small cans so I go around tie them up and ask her to bring them outside while I get the kitchen, living room and basement garbage)
-- sometimes she gets the mail but our box is on the side of the house not a street mailbox
-- feed and water the cats, if she sees the bowl empty she can fill it up
-- after a meal besides cleaning up after herself she also helps put away stuff in the fridge
-- for school she helps pack her lunch, obviously you might have to remind to put all the food groups in (or whatever you do for lunch)

I know we had chores but I remember the best is working besides my mom doing the chores. We had some great discussions and built a great relationship because we were doing stuff for each other and others.

Meh, that sounds about right. :)

aside from everything you listed. We asign the same chores each week but alternate the child.

One feeds the dog and takes out the recycles. The other helps with the dishes and dinner clean up.

Everyone takes their own dishes to the sink after meals. Setting the table is usually who ever I catch walking by at the time or which ever kid is complaining that they are STARVING! :)