Chores for Children

My oldest two children are 4 and 2 years old.  And like most kids their age, they are...um...challenged, shall we say, when it comes to cleaning up after themselves. 

As in, every time I tell my daughter to pick up the toys that SHE HERSELF got out, she cries and acts as though its a tragedy of epic proportions.  My 2 y.o. son just wanders around the toy room, eventually getting out more toys and making the room worse than when we started cleaning.

Despite my best efforts, gentle encouragement, stern reprimands, and possibly some shouted threats over the last few months, the situation was not improving.

Cleaning up the toy room every day became something I dreaded, because I knew it would include tears, screaming, pouting, and shouting.  I knew I would be directing the kids to pick up each toy individually, and that it would be easier and less hassle to just do it myself rather than argue with them to do it.  But I also knew that they had to do it themselves to learn some responsibility.

After one particularly ugly toy clean-up session that involved several coveted baby dolls and one train set being put in “time-out” for several days, my husband and I reached our breaking point.  Although we don’t expect the 2 y.o. to be able to clean up by himself, a 4 y.o. should be able to put away her own things without specific direction.  And with direction, a 2 y.o. can certainly pitch in and help.

The next day, after discussing it, we gave each of them a "job" that is theirs to do every morning.  By giving them some responsibility, we are hoping that they will feel like an important part of the family machine--they can contribute just like Mommy and Daddy!

My 4 y.o. daughter’s job is to make her bed and her brother's bed every morning.  Although the result is far from military standards, its a definite improvement over the blankets being tossed to the floor. My 2 y.o. son’s job is to feed the cat.  He puts a scoop of cat food in the cat's bowl and pours a cup of fresh water into her water bowl.  He needs some assistance sometimes, but for the most part he can really do it himself.

Although things certainly haven't turned completely around, the kids have been pitching in a lot more since they got their assignments. 

Since its working so well, I'm thinking that next week, I will teach my daughter how to run the washing machine, and my son to dust.  By the time they're 8 and 10, I figure they should be able to clean the whole house for me!

Original DC Metro Moms blog post.  Since she no longer has to clean her house since her kids are doing it all, Jess M. has plenty of time to blog at her personal site, A Bushel and a Peck.