Affluent SAHM moms of 1 or 2 kids- Elementary/tween/teen - do you give a lot of chores to your kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kids do have chores-mowing, cleaning their bathroom, putting away their clothes, refilling the birdbath, shaking out rugs, and cleaning their rooms-some ofbthisbthough is just being responsible for ones mess though.
DH is not controlling about the dishes. For him it’s vacuuming. He loves it to the point that he is disappointed if anyone else does it. I swear his most prized possession is the vacuum. I’ve asked why and he says it’s peaceful. Good enough for me.

Wow! Husbands anal about dishes and vacuuming, you lucky ladies. I hate found fridges especially...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please teach your kids some life skills. My mom was a SAHM who did everything for me and I went to college not knowing how to do laundry. When I moved into my first rental house with roommates I put dish soap in the dishwasher and flooded the kitchen, I had no idea how to cook more than a piece of toast, I had never scrubbed a toilet or taken out a bag of trash.

Adult life hit me hard.

Thankfully I’ve figured all that stuff out over the past couple decades and am a neatnik now. We have a cleaning service every 2 weeks, but DH and I divide everything else up while working full time and raising kids. Our kids are young but already have chores like putting dirty clothes in their hampers, taking dirty dishes to the sink, picking up toys, etc.

I’m all for outsourcing the stuff you really hate to boost your quality of life (to an extent), but I also think it’s important to do some things for yourself and to instill the knowledge and ethic in your children to contribute to the household.

This was the same story for me growing up, although I had a working mom!

She was just very particular about chores and cooking, so I barely entered the kitchen or did much around the house growing up. I've found I have the same tendencies. I have to force myself to give the kids chores - like pp, mostly for life skills reasons - because I always groan watching them do it. It's never the way I want it done (I'm a perfectionist). I have to be honest, sometimes I re-do it because I get anxiety if it's not quite right. But I do think it's important for the kids to help out and to learn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course! They made their bed everyday, cleaned their room, brought their plate to the sink after meals, unloaded backpacks and dumped lunch Ypres to be washed in the sink. During the summer, kids had increased house chores. I have 2 sons and figured I would be thanked by their future wives.

Ugh. So sexist.

Why is this sexist if the boys learn how to clean?

Because that implies that boys and girls have different things to learn or do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course! They made their bed everyday, cleaned their room, brought their plate to the sink after meals, unloaded backpacks and dumped lunch Ypres to be washed in the sink. During the summer, kids had increased house chores. I have 2 sons and figured I would be thanked by their future wives.

Ugh. So sexist.

Why is this sexist if the boys learn how to clean?

Because that implies that boys and girls have different things to learn or do.

Also heterosexist. What if they are gay?

[Anonymous]

I am not affluent but I SAH and have two children 10 and 6. We have cleaner who comes every other week and do the bulk of cleaning. In between those are the chores:

10y:

Unload the dishwasher once a day (and put it away of course). What she can't reach she leaves on the counter for me.

Clean the litter box

Walk the dog 1x/day

Keep her bedroom tidy (work in progress)

Sweep the floors upstairs 1x/week

Wipe the bathroom (her bathroom) counter/sink 1x per week.

Put away her folded laundry (I fold)


6y:

Keep her bedroom tidy (work in progress)

Clean up after herself (when she play or colors etc)

Clear up the table after our meals (take dishes and glasses to sink)

Feed the cats