Specifically, what chores do your children have?
For me, here's the chore breakdown. . .
17 & 16 year-olds: Garbage & Recycling (shared responsibility because they are never home).
14 year-old: All things table & surrounding area
11 year-old: Sweeping
8 year-old: Bathroom counter & mirror
In Brittany's house, they are constantly adapting and changing things up.
They start "chores" very early on. Meaning, as soon as kiddos can pick a toy up, they can start doing little jobs. Even an 18 month-old can learn how to pick up their toys (little-by-little).
When assigning chores, Brittany's family always considers the youngest CAPABLE child (not necessarily the child who will do the best job). It gives children the opportunity to rise to a challenge. As soon as a child understands commands (and give your kids some credit-they are REALLY much smarter and more capable than we think), they can begin doing small tasks.
Be willing to work with kids. . .they are not going to do a perfect job the first eleventy-billion times, and that's OK! It's our job to work with them! Try not to rely on the oldest and most capable kids ALL the time.
At 2 to 3 years-old kids: grab things for you, pick up their own toys, clean up their own non-shatter glasses and plates, load their own dishes in the dishwasher, and put their own trash in the trash can.
At ages 4 to 5 years-old kids: sweep, pick up certain rooms and areas (ONE task in a certain area-be specific), take out recycling
At ages 6 to 7 years-old kids: pick up the yard, dog messes, garbage, cleaning the car (please be mindful of weather conditions and safety)
Another thing Brittany's family does with chores is the chore swap! On the first of every month, kids receive their new responsibilities. On the last day of every month, Brittany & her husband decide how jobs will be divided out for the next month. They have a rough list they divide up based on responsibility, capability, and pay. Older kids (as training for adulthood) are given the opportunity to rise to the challenge.
Chores in the Brittany House:
Oldest child (14): scouring bathrooms once a week, cleaning inside and outside of van, and all trash and recycling in the house (up to making sure they are brought to the curb)
Second Oldest (12): kitchen duty each night, ALL things laundry and laundry room
Third Oldest (11): vacuums the stairs, cleans the loft area, and cleans the girls' room with the help of the little girls
Sidenote 1: Allow older kids to work with the younger kids-consider the "ask 3 before me"
Find the complete podcast notes on our website.
To find The Deliberate Day on Instagram, click here.
Looking for items shared in our podcasts?!
