How Do You Work Kitchen Cleanup in the Evening?

I clean as I cook, so there is little to no mess when I am done. If I clean out a dish used for cooking on the first round of servings, then I wash it and set it aside to dry before I even go to the table.

My kids are basically the same ages, or were when we started the routine we have. All 3 kids have always brought in their own dishes and as they got old enough loaded their own dishes. So it's been at least a year we have been doing that.

My kids have 3 chores that they rotate. One vacuums the living room (the only roomo n the first floor with carpet), one brings down the dirty clothes from the hamper to the laundry area, and the last one is responsible to wipe the table and counters.

As far as loading/unloading the dishwasher, my youngest unloads the silerware and the other two pick top or bottom before it's opened. Seems to work pretty well.

I ask my hubby to sweep because I hate it, so sometimes it gets done and sometimes it doesn't.

But these chores seem to work well for us, and they only have one every 3rd week, so it's not too much and doesn't get too boring for them.

I'm like Mom2KCK, I clean as I go along. All there is to do really, is wipe the counters and table, load the dishwasher & push start.

Sure--let your 8 year old take a night every other week or so.

Your system sounds complicated to me!

We have a CDK written on the calendar in pink, blue and purple.
On pink K my 14 yo does the kitchen, she sets the table, washes, loads dishwasher, anything kitchen related.
On the other days, pink C day she scrapes the cat box, pink D day she does the dogs.

We have been doing this since she was 5, my youngest was three, so we put him with one of the other kids. Now he is 11 and cooking some of the meals

On their kitchen day, if they want, they can also cook the meal.

Giving them the other's chores when they don't bring their plates to the sink has worked well for us. My kids even get mad at me if I forget and leave my plate in the dining room. THen I get "when we all don't pitch in it makes more work for the one who has to pick up after you." Hmmmm wonder where they heard that before?!?!?

Our current cleanup is usually whomever does the cooking does not have the do the dishes. So if he cooks, I clean up and he plays with the kids. Honestly even when I cook - he usually plays with the kids and I clean up. But he's home with them Mon-Thurs and cooks/cleans up breakfast and lunch for them so I do not mind :) When they get older, I think we'll add in something like certain days where each helps out. So maybe Mon/Wed/Fri my daughter will be the helper and will set the table, clean it off and do whatever I ask. Son will get Tues/Thurs/Sat. That way they each get one on one time with the cook and also learn responsibility. This combined with whatever other chores we come up with (probably 1-2 additional chores per week).

I clean while I cook also. I also set the table and put all the food out when we sit down. Hubs and the kids each take their plates and clear the table, I put everything away in the dishwasher. My 12 yo daughters job is to put the clean dishes away after I run them (I'm going to start having her load it also). My 9 yo son takes out the trashes and the cans to the street and brings them back. I need to tighten our chores too. They are getting older so they need to learn to do more. Sounds like you have great kids who help out alot. Good luck!

we dont have any kids yet but i will say what definatley helps is when is after im finished cooking and the food is in the oven or on the stove or whatever and all the mixing n adding ingrediants is done i wash all the stuff i used so that after dinner the only stuff is whatever was used on the table.. we wash the dishes immediatley after we finish eating (if it was just the fiance and i it wouldnt make a difference but its my parents too) and the last thing i wana see is the dishes piled up a foot high out of the sink ..so washing what u can while u can is definatley helpful .. and as far as laundry goes i do all of it .. towels and usually my moms stuff goes in the bathroom.. my dad throws his stuff downstairs bhy the door to the laundry room (which is good cuz its close but i still have to pick it al up) and my fiance n i have our own laundry bucket... my rule is though.. if its not in the bucket it doesnt get washed .. can u give them all little buckets to put their clothes in n when theyre full they can bring them to the washer

I am very big on cleaning as I cook, which leaves nothing but the plates, literally when we are done eating.
Everyone brings their plates to the sink when done (12yr old and 6 yr old) and I clean the plates and put them in the dishwasher, 2 minutes tops and the kitchen is done.
Thats what works for us. Sounds like you have it figured out already.

I'd make a list of all the little chores that need to happen daily and maybe weekly. Then you can change up what chores they have. The Duggars assign a chore and encourage the child to become an expert at it before moving on to another chore. I love the idea of the 8 y.o. being allowed to cook! Otherwise, cleaning up is a pretty mundane activity. What about other clean-up in the house? Like if #2 is loading the DW, then #3 can straighten up the living room??