I want to teach my son that you need to earn some things that you get. What kind of chores have you guys given to your 5 year old to do and how much $ did you give them for the chores? Thanks!
Set the table, clear his dishes, feed his pets and help clean their tanks/cages, pick up his room and his stuff in other areas of the house.
He is 5.
Per his age and ability, he can do certain things.
But with a young child, do NOT expect him to do it like you would, as an Adult.
My son is 5.
He can, wipe tables, put things in the laundry, put things away, set the table, help me dust and "accompany" me while I do chores around the house. He is like my mini-assistant. He even helps me wash our car or cook.
I praise him, for doing "his" best, as a 5 year old.
I don't expect him to clean an entire room... just like me, though. That can be overwhelming, even for an adult! LOL
We don't pay our kids for every little chore. Because, they are a PART of the family, and being a part of a family, we all help... each other.
But for things he does on his own volition, and that are aside from chores, we might... give our kids money. And sure, they of course know that some things are "earned." And that you work for it... and that helping can be its own reward, too.
Just make a little list, of things you want him to learn and do.
Then based on that, you can give him a little money.
Say like 5 things.
But will you have him do it everyday? Or on certain days? Or per your request?
He is 5, so keep expectations and ability, age appropriate.
The KEY thing is, is that the "chore" is attainable for the child, so that they ALSO learn, about their capabilities too and feel "proud" about it and helping.
We got the Melissa and Doug Responsibility Chart and we use:
Make Bed
Get Dressed
Clean Room
Stop Whining (huge issue here)
Keep hands to yourself
Take Care of Pet
Get ready for bed
There are TONS others avail and you can add your own as well, my son earns video game time vs money - that is more important to him at age 5! He can earn a total of 70 min/day if he does them all. It has been working for us!
http://www.melissaanddoug.com/magnetic-responsibility-lea...
My girls get $.50/week. They are expected make their beds, pick out their clothes and jammies, help clean up their messes and help out when asked otherwise. If they are extremely helpful during the week they can make more. They are almost 5 & almost 6 now and have both earned money that they have used to buy toys or books they would like. I also ask them to think ahead to a bigger thing they would like (a movie or Wii game) so they can save up for it.
I do stress to my girls that everyone has to do things around the house and yard to show they are part of the family.
Good luck!
My son is 6. We don't give money for chores in our house.
He does have a check mark chart where he earns check marks for a number of things INCLUDING chores (but also things like trying new foods, being well behaved etc.) He gets ONE check per task.
He identifies something he would like to earn and we agree on a number of check marks to get there (based on cost, coolness, size). (ie BeyBlade 50, PowerRanger mega something 200). When he earns that many, that's what he gets.
His chores ("jobs" he MUST do) are
make bed and tidy bedroom
sort recycling
take trash cans to curb and bring them back
bring in mail
put away silverware
put away clean clothes (his only)
sort laundry (his only)
set and clear table
Extras he MAY do for check marks
vacuum
dust
clean bathtub
mop
hang laundry on line or bring laundry in from line
help SO with household projects
S.H. gives great advice re types of chores kids can do at this age.
I would just add that it can be a slippery slope. Once you start paying kids to do chores they can get into the habit of ONLY wanting to do the chores IF they get paid (I learned this the hard way.) After a while they lose interest and don't really care about the money.
So in our house, we ALL have chores, it's all part of being part of a family and you don't get paid for it.
My kids didn't really start asking for money until they hit the tween years (to go to the movies, buy a cute pair of jeans, etc.) so that's when we started having them earn it, usually by doing bigger jobs, like cleaning the cars or garage, pulling weeds, that kind of thing.
I say start with the basic, unpaid chores now, and hold off on the money earning/managing side of it until he is more mature and is actually demonstrating a desire and need for it. That's when you know he's ready :)
I don't pay for chores, ever. I give my daughter an allowance to help her learn about money. She does chores, helps me when I ask her to, because she lives here and shares the family responsibilities. Two very separate things.
My kids have a set allowance of 5 bucks a week but if they don't do what is expected around the house i will deduct a buck for not helping. My kids are in charge of their rooms and picking up all the floors (putting shoes away, toys etc) gathering laundry, and then putting their laundry away (might not be to my code but its their clothes they can fold or stuff if they want) I have yet to let them start cleaning with chemicals or stuff. They can just do a brief swiffer on the kitchen floor or whatever but nothing major. They are 7 and 5
We don't do chores for money around here. We tell our kids it's just part of being a family. My guy is six, but has had chores since he was three. At five he was clearing the table after dinner and bringing in the empty trash cans on trash day. We also pick up the living room when Daddy is on his way home and he keeps his room neat. He still does these chores, but now also empties the pool skimmers and vacuum (supervised, of course) too.
My 5yo knows how to:
Empty parts of the dishwasher (silverware, plastic ware and cookie sheets)
Take out her garbage in her bathroom
Sweep under the table
clean her entire room, family room, kids play area and table
Wash her bathroom sink area off
Now, none of these things she does are done to perfection except for her sweeping under the table, go figure. I don't talk an allowance with her yet, I feel if she is willing to help out then she's learning that she is part of the family unit. I'm sure if she gets older and starts giving me grief I'll have to throw in a little allowance. But for now, she knows if I ask for help, she should help out.
We don't pay for chores. Chores are just part of living in the house. My two five year olds keep their room picked up, put away toys, clear their own dishes, carry things in from the car, and sweep the dining room.
They do get an allowance, $2 a week per child. It's not related to the chores because I didn't want them to start thinking that if they didn't want/need the money they could stop helping out.
Twice now I've enlisted my girls to do bigger chores - help me weed the garden, water all of the plants in the yard, and rearrange furniture in a few rooms. For those activities, I do pay more so they can see what it's like to earn money. I think I gave them each a dollar.
Our kids have simple chores, feeding dog & cats, make beds, clearing the table, things like that... But they also have things they are just expected to do, like put away their dirty dishes... We pay them $1 a week when they have done at least 5 of their chores each day that week. My 6yo also gets "screen time" that he can use for a rainy day. (the 4yo could care less about screen time) when we pay, it's in change, and they help us count it out. I know many people are against paying for chores, but we don't buy our kids 'stuff' and they love earning their own money to buy themselves toys or games.
Your kids’ rooms are disaster areas. They are late everywhere they go. They forget to take books or papers that they need for school. They need help getting organized. What can you do?
1. Work with your kids to organize their rooms. Brainstorm with them on how to create the organization. Their buy-in is essential to their using and maintaining the system of order that will be created. Also, allow your kids the opportunity to be creative in the process of organizing their rooms. Can they make things that will help them become more organized? Large plastic storage boxes can be used for sorting and storing all the various toys, clothes, etc. that currently clutter their floors. Your kids can use the computer or craft items to decorate the boxes and label them to indicate their contents. For example, a sweater box may bear a sweater-shaped sign that has the word “sweaters” emblazoned across it.
2. Establish a routine for your household. Your kids need to get into a routine wake-up time, bedtime, and have other set routines throughout their day. One part of their nightly routine should be reviewing the next day’s activities to ensure that they are fully prepared and organized for those activities. For example, their backpacks for tomorrow’s school day can be packed tonight.
3. Have your kids create and decorate a calendar to help keep track of their activities. Their calendars should be prominently posted in their rooms, in the kitchen, or in another prominent location in your home. These calendars can be checked and discussed nightly.
4. A checklist can be created for all the things your kids need to take with them when they leave the house. If the list is the same each day for a given activity (i.e., going to school), then a poster board checklist can be kept in your kids’ rooms. When a list will vary day-to-day, you can create a list specific to the activity. These activity-specific lists should be written at least the day before the activity. By pre-preparing the list, you and your kids have time to amend the list if something is accidentally left off the list. Whether the list is applicable each day or targeted to one specific activity, ensure that your kids go through the checklist the night before the activity and again right before heading out the door . . . if something is missing, address the missing item while you are still able to access it and place it in your kids’ backpacks.
5. Lead by example. If you or your nanny are disorganized, your disorganization will reinforce your kids’ disorganization.
6. Hold your kids accountable when they are disorganized. Did you have to leave work today because your kids’ school called you and asked you to run home and get your son’s sports equipment or your daughter’s art class project? If so, perhaps accountability might be in order.
7. Praise your kids often for the signs of organization that they exhibit. Did your son all of the walkways in his bedroom free from clutter this week? If so, praise that. Did your daughter take everything to school that she needed each day this week? If so, praise that.
I don't think you should pay him to do chores. Just make him do simple chores like making his bed, cleaning his roon, and cleaning up any mess he made. Then if he does something special or exyra, you can take him out for ice cream or something likes.
