Coping.org: Tools for Coping with Life's Stressors

Home
Up
Introduction
Self-Care
Environment
Chores
Electronics
Telephone
Time Mgt.
Finances
Recreation
Academics
Relationships
Family Life
Family Meetings

Parenting Pathfinders: Tools for Raising Responsible Children - Section 5

Parenting Pathfinders Track Structures for Children

3.0. Household chores

 

3.1. Inside home chores

Pathfinders make it a point to assign chores inside the home as soon at children are developmentally able to accomplish them. The following are inside home chores by the age of readiness:

Pick up personal items in private room - 3 years

Pick up personal items in public rooms - 3 years

Keep own room neat and picked up - 4 years

Pick up clothes and put in dirty clothes - 3 years

Put clean clothes away in own room  - 4 years

Clean up table after eating - 3 years

Set table - 3 years

Bring in newspaper from outside - 4 years

Bring in mail from mailbox - 4 years

Take family pet out for walk - 5 years

Feed family pet - 5 years

Clean up after family pet - 7 years

Rinse dishes for cleaning - 5 years

Put away clean dishes - 5 years

Put away groceries after shopping - 5 years

Wash and dry dishes - 7 years

Collect waste paper baskets - 5 years

Bring out garbage to street for collection - 7 years

Dusting furniture - 7 years

Sweeping floors - 7 years

Vacuuming floors - 7 years

Keep own room dusted and vacuumed - 7 years

Clean bathroom: sink, tub, toilet, floor 7 years

Assist in spring house cleaning - 7 years

Assist painting inside walls of rooms - 9 years

Fold clean clothes - 5 years

Wash and dry own laundry - 10 years

Iron own clothes - 10 years

These chores are assigned and consequences for their non-accomplishment are ironed out in family meetings.

Natural consequences:

  • If the inside chores are not done by the designated person, then the house will not run smoothly and possibly evolve into a chaotic mess.
  • If the inside chores are not done by the designated person, then another more responsible person will most probably do them, making the errant person who is irresponsible receive the chastisement of others.

Logical consequences:

  • If you do not do your designated inside chore (s), then you will receive the negative consequence previously agreed to in our family meetings.
  • If you continue to not do designated inside chores, then you will not be allowed to bring your friends into the house because you do not contribute to the physical upkeep of the house.
  • If you do not do your inside chore (s) by the designated time and day, then you will not be allowed to do anything else that day until your  chore (s) is completed.

 

3.2. Outside chores

Pathfinders make it a point to assign outside chores around the house as soon as children are developmentally ready. The following are examples of outside jobs by age of readiness.

Picking up leaves and twigs - 5 years

Assist in planting flowers - 2 years

Plant flowers on own - 7 years

Watering new plants - 7 years

Weeding gardens - 7 years

Raking the lawn - 7 years

Bagging cut grass or leaves - 7 years

Sweeping the walk and drive ways - 7 years

Wash own bicycle - 5 years

Washing outside of family car - 7 years

Cleaning inside of family car - 7 years

Mowing the lawn - 12 years

Pruning the hedges, bushes and foliage - 14 years

Washing outdoor windows - 7 years

Assist in annual spring clean up of house - 7 years

Assist in painting outside of house - 10 years

Take care of changing oil of lawn mower - 15 years

Take family car in for regular maintenance - 16 years or licensed

These chores are assigned and consequences for their non-accomplishment are ironed out in family meetings.

Natural consequences:

  • If the outside chores are not completed, then the house will begin to appear chaotic and socially unacceptable in our community.
  • If an outside chore(s) is not completed by the designated family member, then another family member might step in and do it with the goal of not letting the exterior house become unsightly.

Logical consequences:

  • If you do not do your designated outside chore (s) by the designated time and day, then you will not be allowed to do anything else that day until the chore (s) is completed.
  • If you do not do your designated outside chore (s), then you will receive the negative consequence previously agreed to in our family meetings.

Additional logical consequences for inside and outside chores will be fully explored in the exercise at the end of Section 7.

 

Coping.org is a Public Service of James J. Messina, Ph.D. & Constance M. Messina, Ph.D.,  Email: jjmess@tampabay.rr.com  ©1999-2007 James J. Messina, Ph.D. & Constance Messina, Ph.D.  Note: Original materials on this site may be reproduced for your personal, educational, or noncommercial use as long as you credit the authors and website.