should a 13 year old be old enough to clean the bathroom?

[Anonymous]

Yes! Obviously! If she has a hard time with it, that means she needs more practice and should do it weekly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely! My 10- and 12-year olds started cleaning their bathrooms during the pandemic when we stopped having the house cleaners come. Totally appropriate for them to be able to do it at that age.

Your 10 and 12 year olds each have their own personal bathroom?

[Anonymous]

Is she getting the short end of the stick in comparison to her siblings?

Otherwise, nbd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have my 8 year old (consistently) and 6 year old (less consistently) dusting with a wet paper towel about once or twice a month. I ask 8 to wipe the countertop maybe about once a month. For some reason they usually love doing it. Toilet/shower/sink cleaning I do myself on an as-needed basis for their bathrooms, mainly because I know they will do a piss-poor job, but also cleaning products probably aren't great for young kids to be around? However, I plan on phasing in those in at some point. Likely sink first, then tub, then toilet. Right now, I only care they take *some* responsibility so that it will be easier to add on to that in the future.

^Forgot to add the kids don't get allowance, yet. But when they do I'm not tying money to chores. I'm trying to set the norm that chores are expected as a member of the household and they will be expected to do them whether they get an allowance or not. I'm about 50/50 on how successful that will be in practice. Guess I'll report back when they are teenagers on how stupid I was to think this would stick!

[Anonymous]

Our 9 and 11 year olds take turns cleaning their shared bathroom. They do a good job. Yes, 13 is certainly old enough.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely. And stop buying her crap every single week!

[Anonymous]

My 7 year old is the best bathroom cleaner. We divide up the chores and she likes doing the kid bathroom.

[Anonymous]

Yes. I had my own bathroom growing up and I had to wipe the counters and mirror, mop the floor, clean the toilet and tub once a week. This started in 3rd grade.

I also did my own laundry, dusted the living and family rooms, vacuumed the stairs, unloaded the dishwasher, and picked up dog poop in the yard.

I was not abused.

[Anonymous]

My 16 yr old has been doing it weekly since he was at least 10 so no, it isn't torture and won't kill him. He also does it for free.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course. Also developmentally appropriate for a 13yo to complain about it to friends.

This x1000

You are entering the phase where in their eyes, everything you do is cringey, annoying, or tantamount to child abuse. It will pass (I hope- still waiting here)

[Anonymous]

Do you watch the Kids Baking Championship? Those tweens are making elaborate wedding cakes and other baked goods, and you think your kid can't swipe a toilet brush around the bowl?

[Anonymous]

Once a child gets an allowance, they now have the privilege of buying their own crap at Five Below. When the child actually has to part with THEIR money, they miraculously don’t want all the junk. It’s fun to watch!

[Anonymous]

Yes. Please make your 13 year old clean the bathroom (and their room for that matter). I had the nastiest college roommates ever and it was due to a lack of chores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course a 13 year old is capable of cleaning a bathroom. Kids doing chores around the house is appropriate. I know that different families have different approaches, but I was raised that everyone who lives in a home pitches in to take care of cleaning.

Who said it was child abuse???

I’m guessing the 13 year old being asked to clean her own bathroom…

Hey, if I could get out of cleaning bathroom by calling it spousal abuse, I would, so I get her logic.

[Anonymous]

If she's being asked to clean her brother's nasty bathroom, yeah, not cool.

But otherwise I'd say it's child abuse (or at incomplete child rearing) for kids to NOT learn how to do basic household tasks like cleaning bathrooms, washing dishes, laundry, etc.