trying to set up chores for a multifamily house hold.

[eenie114]

I bet the three-year-old would be old enough to put silverware and maybe cups on the table, put away his own clothes with help, and make sure his clothes are in the hamper when he changes.

Travis should maybe help with the dishes?

 

[ECBW]

It is not set in stone regarding chores and age correlation. Gender is also not a given. I found it out by having foster children as well as my own.

I would gauge the maturity and personality of the child. Choose a chore that might be a fit.

A few important strategies: Make sure everyone knows that they each need to help out so no one feels unfairly burdened. Keep switching the chores so it is not monotonous.

As a result, everyone can do just about everything. Each has his or her own specialty/preference. When I ask, "what did you do to help today?" They either have done something or would look around to pick their chore of choice.

There are things that no one likes, such as house vacuuming, which my wife would “gladly” do since the picking of other chores is slim.

 

[TinyChickenLady]

I think the 3 year old should help with animal chores such as collecting eggs. At that age, it's good to teach them how to be gentle and griendly. You might get a couple of cracked eggs in the process of teaching but it can be fun when they get to show the older sibs what they got to do for chores that day. They can help fill feeders or "supervise" you doing it until he figures it out. And of course, the chickens need their daily dose of people so if he can refrain from chasing, he would make an excellent chicken sitter

Just a few thoughts there.
I love teaching younger children how to do things around the home. They always learn an extra lesson from it.
Just this weekend, my (almost) 2 year old nephew "helped" my Dad and I run electricity to the chicken coop. He tried so hard, we just couldn't shoo him away LoL And he also "helps" me feed the pigs and watch the chickens

He loves his "cluck clucks" and "dookies" (duckies) and "*snort snort*" (he oinks when he wants the pigs) so much, I just can't tell him no when he wants to see them.

 

[zippitydooda]

I'm curious about what the adults have decided to share..... your friend needs to do an equal amount of work too. I think the adults could "rotate" the work that is too difficult for the little ones.

Also, when my kids were young (same age as the 2 older ones) they ran the vacuum and swept floors and even mopped. The younger ones can swish the potty clean & wash fingerprints off of things. We always made a game of it.... set the timer & see who finished their job the BEST. Then there was a small reward (usually a token toy like a rubber ball or sidewalk chalk.... ) for the winner. It motivated the others to be the winner the next time.

Don't forget that there is always outside work to do too.... pulling weeds, picking up sticks, gathering any trash that has found it's way into the yard. Little ones LOVE to feel needed. Praise Praise Praise and they will be like little work-a-holics! LOL.

Good luck with the change in the family dynamics. Lots of times just having someone new in the house makes me cranky. But then, I'm old.

 

[shadowpaints]

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Beck and I are doing the majority of the house work. Laundry,vacuuming, meals, cleaning the bathrooms, etc. no worries we arent making the kids do everything.
so far everything is going well, kids are having no problem doing the chores that we ask them to do.

as soon as everything else settles down, they will be able to help with the animal chores. the kids (all but the 3 year old ) started school yesterday so things should clam down quickly. we are doing a reward system where they earn the ablitiy to pick what we do during 'fun time ' after school and homework is done. so far that is going well.

wow do we have a house full! LOL

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

One thing to consider is having everyone make their own bed, or rotating that task with one person making all the beds one week and someone else doing it the next. THere are a lot of similar chores that can be either individual and everyone does them or communal and one person does the task for everyone.

My friend added a chore to her kids with each birthday, spending time teaching them how to properly accomplish it, whether it was dusting and polishing all the furniture or mowing the lawn. So birthdays became not just a celebration honoring the child, but also a real lesson in how maturing allows one to accomplish more and giving back.

 

[MeatKing]

I think 3 yr old can do lots...

My DD just turned 3 in August.. She will help empty dish washer, she knows, the differnce between, sharp knives/ silver ware.. And will wait for me to take out knives.. Then I move silver onto counter and she sorts puts away.. While I do all the glass, then she helps me with plastics/ metal.. Works well..

Both kids strip there bed, and I help make it up every weekend..

The idea about seperate laundry bins.. love and have been doing for about a year.. So works and helps...

Love to read this post and hear what other Familes are doing.. To help keep thing organixed!! Easier spelled then done .. lol

 

[dewey]

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