What?! Chores and child labor?

[McCord6]

I have been laughing my little butt off for the last few days. I was talking to my sister in law on the video phone and a topic of Chores came up. I told her that both my 3 year old and 4 year old have chores everyday after school.

My son has to do:
Feed the dogs
Feed the donkey (with daddy), He has a little wagon that hubby put a bucket in and son has to scoop feed from the Trash can (used to hold the feed) to the bucket then go to the donkey's pen and daddy will help him dump it into the feed bin. He does it by himself but Daddy just there to help when needed.
Trash Duty, with daddy's help, he takes the trash to the trash trailor.
and he knows that he has to put his dishes in the dishwasher after dinner.

My daughter does:
help take the last load of laundry off the line
Straighten up livingroom, help Mommy sweep livingroom
Helps with dishes after dinner (rinse and put dishes in dishwasher)

Well my sister in law said that it's TOO much work for a 3 year old and a 4 year old to do. She said that is not CHORES, that's CHILD LABOR.
I asked her what her kids do (6 years old and 3 years old) she said only thing they do is pick up their toys before bed.

Im still laughing at her. I told her that there is alot of skills that the kids at a young age need to learn to accomplish and having chores helps teach them the needs to know of later in life. AND, the busier you keep them, the better behavior they have! My kids even make their own bed in the morning, which her kids don't know how to do. Im not saying her parenting is wrong, that's how she wants to do it, that's fine.

 

[greyhorsewoman]

As a little girl, I would have preferred to feed the donkey.

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Sounds like you are on the right track. Good work

 

[wildorchid053]

we always had chores and my kids did too..at 3 they were simple.. feed the cat...pick up toys etc.. but as they got older it was stack firewood.. mow things like that.. we never did allowance i didn't like them having money just to have so if they had a reason they needed money then we discussed it..they are now grown with familys of their own and their kids do chores just like the rest of us did..

 

[raroo]

Those sound like great chores for little ones!

When I was little, helping out with my mom and taking care of pets didn't feel like chores.

 

[ams3651]

we had things we had to do but not really daily chores. In the spring we had to go thru the yard, 2 acres, and pick up sticks and such that fell over the winter before mowing, we had to clean the grain bin of the corn left in it before it could be filled again, we had to clean the hog pens after they were sold ( we loved this job, several hundred hogs

) Theres nothing wrong with a few small chores when they are young, actually it think it teaches them to respect you and do what you ask. To each his own, but I agree your doing you kids a favor in teaching them.

 

[warmfuzzies]

Wow, my kids do even more then your I think! I must be really mean.

My 3 year old DS and 4 year old DD clean up the whole house twice every day. I set the timer for 10 minutes, and they are to pick up and put away ANYTHING that is not where it goes, including anyone's dirty laundry that got dropped on the floor, all the toys, any trash or paper scraps, and any dirty dishes laying around. If they beat the timer they get a sticker. They normally get it done in under 5 minutes. Most of the stuff they clean up is theirs anyway.

They clean the front of the dishwasher and wipe down the bathroom counter everyday after we are done brushing teeth. They unload the dishwasher (minus knives) onto the counter, and they put away the dishes that go in the lower cupboards. DS also puts away all the silverware in the right places, and if he just throws them in, he has to do it over until he does it right. (he has a lazy streak we are working on.)

When the weather is nice, I have my DD hang the socks and small things up on her own little line out side. That helps SO much because they are the things that take the longest to hang up. They help me sort laundry, and they fold all the dishclothes and dishtowels. My DD is learning how to sweep and they LOVE to 'help' me cook. They are my little gophers too.

I had them 15 months apart, and my DD was helping me as soon as she could walk. I needed her. And we also have a 1 year old and now they both help watch / keep an eye on her.

I think kids are just little people, and like all people they need to be needed. No one wants to feel like they are just floating along, with no purpose in life. But they have planty of time to play, too, of course.

 

[hunterjumper999]

There is nothing wrong with age appropraite chores.

I think your lists sound fine

When I have them my children will be responsible for their own messes and laundry from the time they can help. There is NOTHING wrong with that.

I see alot of wonderful parents on BYC. I hope someday that I can be 1/2 as good!

 

[Camelot Farms]

 

[Buff Hooligans]

If you expect nothing from your children, that's exactly what you'll get.