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LAYERS_OF_ME
6/11/06 3:51 P
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In our house we have our regular duties. My 13, 11 and 5 year old daughters are expected to clean up any messes they make anywhere in the house without complaint or payment. This includes doing their own laundry and dishes. However, they get the opportunity to earn real money for things that are out of the normal scope of their responsibilities. The oldest earns money for babysitting the youngest when I go work out, for example. If they would like to earn additional money by cleaning the car, or cleaning a mess left by me or their dad, they can. Yard work and spring cleaning projects enable them to earn extra too. They're payday is our payday, and we track their totals on a whiteboard in our dining room. We usually negotiate how much each extra task is worth and we reserve the right to fine them for not taking care of their responsibilities. If the dog has an accident, they both get fined for not taking her out. We put parental controls on the TV and change their login passwords on the computer when these things become a distraction to their normal responsibilities. They earn their access back when things look like they're being taken care of.
The dog seems to be our biggest battle right now. *sigh*
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MOMOF3PLUSONE
6/11/06 12:26 P
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| I am really encouraged by these suggestions! I have tried several different systems with my brood and have yet to find something that works. But I WILL keep trying!
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JESBRESINA
6/11/06 7:52 A
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my kids are 5,7,9,11 i have done the chart and that seems to work when it came to their bedrooms i helped them clean it ( i mean big cleaning) and organizing so everything has its place i have found this to make a big difference especially for my 9yrs old who has adha but they all inherited my mother's unorganizaltion gene funny thing is i am almost obsessive about it a clean house but have gotten much better since having kids sadly none of my kids inherited that
However a good friend of mine who is a stay at home mom has gone on strike the only thing she is doing is cooking dinner and doing dishes she isnt doing laundry cleaning the house anything her husband and kids thought she was kidding when she said that she would but are learning quickly she wasnt they are all starting to help
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the home dollars thing is working really well for us. and i agree buffed chic the reward and punnishment thing is great. and the home dollars really enforce this...the reward is the pretend money (we don't give him real money) and the punnishment is if he doesn't do it he doesn't get the money and he NEEDS that money or there is no tv computer, playdates, riding his silverado (battery operated little pick up), also no snack drawer (snacks cost 2$ a piece! etc...etc...
a lot of times he will come and ask me what chores he can do because he's broke and wants to play a game lol.
there are things that are free for him, like playing with toys or reading books..and playing outside and riding bikes is free...i don't want him to pay to excercise!
anyway to answer someone's question i have only 1 son and he is 6.
he did the dishes last night, and took out the garbage, and vacuumed the living room, and picked up all the laundry and took it to the laundry room withOUT being asked, because he was trying to earn enough $ to add to the $ he already had to invite a friend to dinner and have pizza! and yup...tonight he got his reward. (menu requests are 10$ inviting a friend to dinner is 20$ and each job only pays 1 or 2 $ we don't have any jobs that earn more than 2. so he's been working for about a week to do this....now if he's been doing ALL those jobs all week long, don't you think he deserves to invite a friend to dinner? hehe i did! and i never had to nag him to do it he BEGGED me for chores! lol
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SOKRFAMILIA
6/6/06 4:49 P
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Of course mine are older. I gave up, I just close the door. I don't clean their rooms and I don't clean their bathroom. Life is too short for me to be constantly on their backs. If they want to live like pigs they need to keep it where I can't see it.
When they were younger, yes I had to remind them. But I didn't reward them ever for doing it. They were a part of the family they lived in the same house we all had to pitch in to keep it clean.
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I made up a chart about a month ago. My children are 8,4, and 3.
Everyone is assigned a job, some are daily, and others are weekly.
The little ones get stickers on their charts, and my oldest didnt want stickers, but tally marks. When I am at garage sales, I pick up some things and make a box I call the "home store". Their tally marks and stickers turn into coins, and once every 2 weeks, they can go to the "store" and "buy" something with their "coins".
I use to run on the principle of "you dont get paid for chores, this is our family and we work together", but I have come to the conclusion that it doesnt get done like it should for us that way.
Every afternoon around 3:30, we have chore time. Everyone does their chores. I know that way we can count on it getting done.
Cleaning your room is a daily chore, dishes, sweeping, vaccuuming, wiping the table and counters, picking up the living room...
We sort and do and fold laundry every other day. The oldest mows the lawn once a week..
It really has been such a great help. I use to do all this stuff, but realized that I have 3 wonderful little helpers that can do lots of things!
HTH!
Lisa
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CHRISTYSMITH
6/6/06 6:22 A
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| I have a 6 year old and 10 year old. They both have chores to do. They do not get rewards or $ for doing them. They are told it is what they do as part of our family. No one pays me for dooing the laundry and cooking/cleaning. They do pretty good but do need reminded. I don't mind the reminders as long as it gets done by someone other than me.
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MOMOF3PLUSONE
6/6/06 1:24 A
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| Does this work? How old are your children/is your child? I'm trying to get something started for my clan this summer, and this sounds interesting.
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we photocopied a $ bill and made a bunch of copies. we have a list on the refrigerator of ways to earn these "home dollars" all the way from making his bed and putting his laundry away, to taking out garbage and doing dishes...some things pay more than others.
there is also a list of how he can spend these home dollars...he has to pay for 1/2 hr of tv or computer, he gets an hour for the same price if he chooses an educational program. he pays us for using the telephone...and for inviting friends over. if he saves up enough, he can have a sleepover, or go to the swimming pool. etc. there are things that don't cost too much ...like mom making a milkshake or slushie or something.
we have a rule in our house that you have to eat the meals that are served, but if you want to make a special request it costs 10 home dollars and you have to make the request a day in advance.
good luck!
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CORALREEFGYAL
6/4/06 10:04 A
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| My household is a family of five. I seem to be the only one who does any chores around the house. My oldest is eighteen and lazy but not at her parttime job. My son is fourteen and have to be told constantly to clean his room and take out the garbage once a week. My youngest is eight and does chores sometimes. I am looking for the miracle that would happen for them to be more producive. They were spoilt with maids in teh house when they were younger and I was in full time work.
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BUFFEDSTUFF
6/3/06 9:34 P
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reward and punishment worked with my kids. if you didn't do your chores you lost your privileges until whatever was suppose to be done got done. 
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STRESSEDMOMMY
6/3/06 12:41 P
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| Do they ever? My 14 year old still has to be reminded that if she doesn't do her chores she will lose priveleges. For that matter, my husband still has to be reminded when it's garbage day. LOL
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| at what age do they start to straighten up because they are embarrased their friends might thimk something
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| I don't know if kids at that age do help unless there is something in it for them.
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I habe a ten year old and a 6 year old, and they do some chores. Not w/o being reminded or some incentive being held over their head.
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