How old are your kids and what chores do your children do around the house? Is there a payment or reward system or is it just part of family life? Our Mum Community share their advice below:
- 3 year old has been dressing herself for a while, picks own clothes (to a degree), dirty clothes in wash basket, keeps her room tidy, picks up after herself, takes dirty dishes to the kitchen, helps cook. As these are common life skills, she gets thanked but no money etc when she is older she may get pocket money but it won’t be for common life skills. Blake
- Some jobs are paid some are to “pitch in” collect mail, bin and kindling for the fire are pitch in jobs and helping with household chores are paid jobs. He is 6 and generally happy to help either way. Katie
- My 2yo ‘helps’ tidy up his toys. He also puts things in the bin for me, nappies, banana skin, yoghurt pots etc. he has even started to mop up spills with kitchen roll. No reward system it’s part if family life. But we do high fives and hugs when he does something to help. Maria
- My kids are 3 & 5 they are responsible for cleaning their rooms and picking up any other items they leave around the house they also wipe up the knives and forks after dinner and feeding the dog we have a reward chart and when they earn 10 stars they can pick something they would like to so (going to the park or swimming etc) it works alright most of the time but being young it is not heavily enforced. Heidi
- Ds is 20mo and has to put his toys away, put dirty clothes in basket, his plate/bowl… brought to the kitchen when he’s finished and his rubbish put in the bin. Most he does without being asked. He doesn’t get paid as theyre basic things everyone has to learn to do. When he’s older and does more difficult tasks then he might get paid for it. Kai
- My two year old helps with packing his toys away. Unprompted He also tries to help put washing into the machine and LOVES sweeping which he does willingly. Joanna
- My boy will be 2 on Friday and he will help (sometimes) unstack the dishwasher (sometimes) put his toys away (sometimes) help with the washing, I don’t force him to help he willingly trays and helps and the only reward he gets is praise and love. Jess
- My little girl is almost 2 and loves sweeping, helping unpack the dishwasher, putting the washing away and passing me pegs to hang out washing also puts dishes in the sink or dishwasher. I have never forced her too she just does it. I just praise her for helping and cuddles an then a game she wants to play once we r done( mostly outside games) sometimes she’ll get 10-50 cents to put in her money box but very rarely. Cassie
- All our jobs are part of family life, however we have just introduced payment of 10c per day for Mr 4yrs to make his bed & fold his Pjs mostly to introduce the value of money than to “reward” him – Once he is older though, bigger jobs around the house will have a monetry value & he will be free to do as many or as little as he wants to earn his pocket money – no free loading around here!!! Zoe
- 2.5, almost 4 & 11yr old. All have jobs to do. Taking out rubbish, putting clothes into washing machine, unstack dishwasher of plastics. All have to tidy their rooms & put toys in toy box etc. They love helping sweep, vacuum & getting ingredients for cooking. Little ones love handing me pegs while I hang out washing & stuff. We’re very much a help out family. No payment involved. Just part of daily life. No complaints ever. They’re even more excited now with twins on the way.. They can’t wait to run & fetch nappies etc. Pamela
- Mr 2 and 3 love to unpack the dishwasher since they saw thier older cousins do it. Mr2 puts the cutlery. Mr3 puts away the plates and pots. (My plates are all corella, lightweight and really hardy). If I ask them, they get hugs and positive praise. If they instigate and do a good job they get money. They both work really hard all the time but the other day they helped my husband so much out side ALL DAY, that they both fell asleep at the dining table (neither have slept at the table in a year or more) SO CUTE. Jessica
- My daughter is 2.5 and puts her toys away and helps clean her room. She also helps unload the dishwasher (cups, plastic plates etc). She loves it as she loves being involved. No payment at the moment but as she gets older we’ll start introducing pocket money for jobs around the house. Kerri-Ann
- My 2 year old helps put the dishes away (her plates, bowls, chopping boards, forks spoons etc), she helps tidy her toys up, helps hang washing by handing me the clothes and pegs, and it’s all just part of family life as those sorts of things are a weekly/daily thing when she gets older and starts vacuuming bathing the dogs etc then she will earn money or a reward for doing such things. Stef
- My 14month old helps pack away her toys she thinks it’s a game. And she loves helping unpack the groceries. Cherie
- My 18 month old hands me the clean dishes from the dishwasher, ‘wipes down’ her high chair tray and the tables and she puts things in the bin (not so good when it’s something that shouldn’t go in the bin!!) Renee
- My kids are 6&9 they have to clean up their own mess and put away the shopping. Their reward is they won’t have broken toys, and they will have food in their bellys. My daughter enjoys vacuuming so I let her go helter skelter with it. My kids get money for book fairs when thy come up and lunch orders if there is no arguments at the end of the week. I don’t think I ask to much. My kids offer to do things around the place while I do housework and if I am really busy they get rewarded with a treat but it depends on what’s happen ending at the time. Erin
- My 17 month old helps unstack the dishwasher. Alanna
- 3, he has to clean his toys & make his bed, help mum & dad around the house & listen to us (big problems with it) if he gets so many stars at the end of the week he gets a lego :)) Aliesha
- My 18th month old packs away her toys and wipes down her highchair. Taylor
- Miss 2 gets 50c a week for helping. Marie
- My son is 4 and he helps me every Friday but its because he wants to. I’d prefer to do it on my own lol. He vacuums, dusts and cleans his playroom and tidies his room. Natalie
- My little bub is too young but I have two step sons who are 6 and 10 you just have to ask them to do something and they do it no reward system they just have been taught good manners and respect sometimes I give them pocket money as a extra treat if it’s a big job. Aleesa
- Got five under ten, only recently started making oldest three stack kitchen, and clean/vacuumed lounge room + tidy their own rooms. No payment or reward system in place as yet, as I have to stand and supervise (in kitchen anyway) until job is finished. They have been told that when they can do their chores unsupervised and without tantrums they will earn spending money. We have always had bank accounts for them since birth $10 p/w each. They do not access this but. I was always their slave and have seen that they need to be taught to be independent not dependant on others to get through life. As adults they will expect to be paid for any work they do so I guess I’d better teach them how to work on their own as their boss won’t supervise them and direct them every step of the way…Nicole
- My 23mo packs up her toys and likes to “help” with the vacuuming and making the beds. When I’m outside taking clothes off the line, she puts the pegs in the peg basket for me I try to make most things a game for her , so that she sees them as a fun activity, and not a chore. Hayley
