When to give your child chores?

lhhl

My daughter is soon to be 4 and I was thinking of introducing some chores. She has basic "chores" --- put your toys away, put your laundry in the hamper. But I was wondering if it is too soon to add other basic chores? If not, and your children have chores, what do you have them do and how do you reward them?

shadypines

We have a 3 1/2 yr old. And he has lil chores. And tell you the truth I would never would of thought of having him do chores. But he always wanted to "help mommy". So I have him take the clothes out the dryer and load the dryer. Clean up his toys. He helps sort the laundry (which really helped him with his colors). Also, when we bring in the groceries, I would give him the light bags that did not have breakable items. Good Luck! We started this about year ago.

J&A2008

I think she's old enough to make her bed and maybe help with dusting.  I think a lot of other chores - sweeping, carrying her dishes to the sink, will have to wait until she's older.

jlw2505

My kids are 5 1/2 and my LO will be 4 in a few weeks.  Both have to clean up any toys that they use and keep their rooms neat (we help them with them by explaining what needs to be done).  They have to clear their plates after all meals. 

We don't have any other set chores but on the weekends that the house needs to be cleaned, they help - they will take a dust rag and help me dust or take a damp rag and wipe their floors in their rooms (hardwoods).  My 5 1/2 year old loves to help me sweep the kitchen.  They both help with the dog (feed him for the most part) and in the fall, they both loved helping with the poop cleanup in the yard from the dog (DH's job and we shall see if he can get them to keep helping with that this spring).  I do the bulk of the cleaning and laundry.  They do help put away their laundry if I do it when they are home (I often fold it after they are sleeping and put it away while they are at school as a break from work since I work from home).

jsugrin

Manneek1977:

We have a 3 1/2 yr old. And he has lil chores. And tell you the truth I would never would of thought of having him do chores. But he always wanted to "help mommy". So I have him take the clothes out the dryer and load the dryer. Clean up his toys. He helps sort the laundry (which really helped him with his colors). Also, when we bring in the groceries, I would give him the light bags that did not have breakable items. Good Luck! We started this about year ago.

This is how my oldest is also.  At 2 he started doing our food floor every night after dinner with the stick vac.  He also runs to me in a panic when their is a speck of dirt in the toilet and all I do is get the brush out and he scrubs.  Now my almost 3 year old is a bear to get him to do anything besides clean up his toys or yard work.  We don't have any formal reward thing, just lots of praise and talk about them contributing to our family.  Earlier today DS #2 was helping with some clean up and I over heard #1 saying " Coop I'm so proud of you, you're being such a good helper Coop".