Is it reasonable to ask my 12 year old daughter to clean the bathroom?

[Anonymous]

I think parents are doing a huge disservice if they DON’T have kids do regular cleaning and other chores. Not just minor things like walking the dog and putting away their own laundry.

It makes housecleaning seem like this BIG SCARY impossible thing that needs to be outsourced. With the right products and schedule it really doesn’t take that much time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think parents are doing a huge disservice if they DON’T have kids do regular cleaning and other chores. Not just minor things like walking the dog and putting away their own laundry.

It makes housecleaning seem like this BIG SCARY impossible thing that needs to be outsourced. With the right products and schedule it really doesn’t take that much time.

+1

We’re about to start our regular Sunday morning cleaning and all three kids (12, 10, 8) are very much expected to clean. We’ve been doing this for a few years now. They complain every week but they know how to clean. DH and I agree it’s a fight worth having with them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In my mind it seems perfectly normal for a 12 year old to clean a bathroom, but she has been complaining about it to no end and saying none of her friends have to so I just wanted to check. I am even paying her to do it, so it seemed fine to me.

It is completely normal, you probably could even have started her on it earlier if you wanted to; don’t pay her but as others have said it might be hard to go back on that. Makes sense she will complain about it, particularly if her friends don’t have to, but what you are doing will stand her in a better stead in the future, so be prepared for a fight over it, I would just keep making her do it until she cleans it properly (Show her if she doesn’t get how to do it, don’t let her get away with only doing half the job though )

[Anonymous]

That’s about when I learned.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely fait to make her clean it, tell her to get scrubbing and quit complaining or she can clean the other one as well .

[Anonymous]

Yes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think parents are doing a huge disservice if they DON’T have kids do regular cleaning and other chores. Not just minor things like walking the dog and putting away their own laundry.

It makes housecleaning seem like this BIG SCARY impossible thing that needs to be outsourced. With the right products and schedule it really doesn’t take that much time.

I’m a PP with a 12yo who walks the dog, puts laundry away and does other minor chores but doesn’t clean the bathroom.
I don’t think it’s wrong to have your kids do it if you want them to but it’s not a disservice to my kid to not have her do it.
I didn’t do cleaning like that as a kid and figured it out when I left home and had my own place.

[Anonymous]

It’s normal and appropriate. I think it’s fine to make allowance contingent on completion of agreed chores.

[Anonymous]

My 15 year old, 8 year old and I alternate weekly cleaning their bathroom. That way by the time it's my week I can make sure it's 100% but they are still expected to do their best. I have found printing off check lists for them really helps them get started and work through what they need to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think parents are doing a huge disservice if they DON’T have kids do regular cleaning and other chores. Not just minor things like walking the dog and putting away their own laundry.

It makes housecleaning seem like this BIG SCARY impossible thing that needs to be outsourced. With the right products and schedule it really doesn’t take that much time.

I’m a PP with a 12yo who walks the dog, puts laundry away and does other minor chores but doesn’t clean the bathroom.
I don’t think it’s wrong to have your kids do it if you want them to but it’s not a disservice to my kid to not have her do it.
I didn’t do cleaning like that as a kid and figured it out when I left home and had my own place.

I just know too many adults who outsource cleaning (even plenty of not rich people) because it’s completely terrifying to them - the idea of cleaning their own house. It’s just not that big of a deal, and I think teaching that starts at home in childhood.

[Anonymous]

Agree. They can clean.

My sons ex girlfriend quit on the first day at McDonald’s because she couldn’t take to cleaning the washroom as one of her tasks!

[Anonymous]

Lol she's even getting paid? Why is she complaining?

I started cleaning the bathrooms in my home growing up when I was 7 or 8. I was in charge of my own bathroom. There were 4 bathrooms. If I was in trouble, I had to clean my parents bathroom which was always the dirtiest, along with my sisters bathrooms. Looking back, it's crazy they had a 7 year old scrubbing 4 toilets in one day. I bet I got sick from it at some point!

But at 12? And getting paid for it? Don't feel bad.

[Anonymous]

According to my kids, none of their friends have to take out garbage, clean their room, clear the table, do homework before screen time, etc. We must be the cruelest parents in town.

My 11 year old cleans all the toilets in the house as part of his Saturday chores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:According to my kids, none of their friends have to take out garbage, clean their room, clear the table, do homework before screen time, etc. We must be the cruelest parents in town.

My 11 year old cleans all the toilets in the house as part of his Saturday chores.

He is probably being truthful. My kids friends are incredibly spoiled, even the ones who can’t afford it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would not make my daughter clean a bathroom shared with a male relative unless you have one who actually wipes the toilet and floor down each time they use it. She didn't sign up for wiping up her dad's pee.

If it's her own bathroom, sure.

WTH. My husband can and does manage to aim properly when he pees. Its not hitting the outside of the toilet or the floor, and I know this because I am the one who cleans the master bathroom and powder room. Maybe if you have young boys in the house its an issue (I don't have any boys) but this should not be an issue with grown men. My husband would 1000% be cleaning the toilet daily if his aim were that bad.

I get what the posters premise was. It’s something I’ve thought about too. I have one child a DD. I want her to learn to clean but her dad is a lazy monster when it comes to chores. I don’t want to inadvertently teach her that cleaning is for women, and that we are there to clean dads mess.