Appropriate chores and responsibilities

For a 9 year old girl and an almost 5 year old boy?

What should I expect them to do, realistically at these ages?

Message edited 8/16/2013 1:03:25 PM.

Re: Appropriate chores and responsibilities

My kids are 6 & 7.
They clean up after themselves after a meal
Set the table with place mates, utensils, napkins
I leave their clean folded clothes on there bed and they need to put it away.

I think your 9 year old could load the dishwasher.

Re: Appropriate chores and responsibilities

my 4.5 year old walks the dog and helps empty the dishwasher.
He also has started folding clothes.

Re: Appropriate chores and responsibilities

My boys are 6 and 8.

* They are responsible for cleaning their room - putting toys in toy box, dirty clothes in basket, pulling sheets off bed
* Bringing laundry basket down to laundry room for washing
* Taking the trash and recycling out (just started this yesterday and they did a pretty good job)
* Cleaning up the family room - picking up toys, sometimes vacuuming
* Putting water and food in dog's bowls (they do this couple of times a week)
* Occasionally wiping down sink in their bathroom
* Taking their plates to kitchen after eating

Message edited 8/20/2013 6:46:04 PM.

Re: Appropriate chores and responsibilities

Here is a post I wrote on someone else's question. My son will be 5 next month.

My almost 5 year old sets(I put the plates/cups on the counter) and clears the table, unloads the silverware from the dishwasher (I take out knives before he does this), cleans his room, makes his bed, and will use the Swiffer vacuum after dinner (I usually have to do it after he does though). He also folds the socks when I do the laundry and is beginning to fold towels too. These are all his jobs and we set them aside for him.
My parents were both working parents and were big on chores. By 12 years old, I did mostly everything in the house, minus cooking big meals. For example, I wanted a phone in my room, so I had to do the entire houses laundry to earn that. Here is a list of life skills by age that I found on pinterest. You can get a list of chores from there!
http://www.thrivingfamily.com/Features/Web/2013/www.thrivingfamily.com/~/media/Thriving/1-articles/PDFs/checklist-4-lifeskills.pdf

Re: Appropriate chores and responsibilities

At 9 SD was scooping the cat littler (with supervision), cleaning her room, putting away her clean, folded clothes and cleaning up after herself after dinner (including wiping her place clean).

I say that like any of it was done consistently

Appropriate chores and responsibilities

My boys are 9 and 7:

They put away their clothes after I fold
Walk the dogs
Take Garbage out to the garage and twice a week drag cans to street
Feed/Water for dogs if asked
Clean up room (however this is always an all day thing cause they love to shove and hide stuff)
Clean up shoes at entryway and put in appropriate cubbies

Re: Appropriate chores and responsibilities

My son is 7 and he changes the garbage in both bathrooms, makes sure there is enough TP on the roll and two extras in the baskets and changes the hand towel.

My 5 year old does more odds and ends. He likes to help sort laundry, he helps me put them in piles by the person.

Re: Appropriate chores and responsibilities

DS just turned 5 and is responsible for picking up his toy/books every night, clearing his dishes for each meal from the table, putting his shoes in his "shoe basket", clothing himself...I lay out the clothes in an organizer for the week, feeding his fish, brushing his teeth and toilet habits. We recently made tying his own shoes as part of his daily responsibilities. He also helps me with the laundry, cooking, watering plants, dusting, vacuuming, etc...he enjoys helping and I'm hoping it will last.

Re: Appropriate chores and responsibilities

DS is 8 1/2, his chores include:

setting the table
clearing the table after dinner with my help (including wiping down the table) and loading the dishwasher
feed the dog & take her out, clean up after her
unloading the dishwasher
putting his laundry away
taking the garbage out
clean room

he also occasionally: folds his laundry, puts his own load of laundry in, dusts the living room