Do Your Kids Do Chores?

Today my kids didn't have school so we had a morning full of chores. I only do this once a week with the kids because they are still small. Ages 4, 5, and 7. I've tried getting them to do the chore chart with set things for each person to do but they don't seem to like doing that. They think that way is too much work and that it's not fair that one will get to help with dishes or laundry and the others won't. So once a week we do a chore morning. Normally it only takes about 2 hours to do the whole house. Cleaning every room and even vaccuuming the floors! My kids love to help me. They don't really care what it is that they are doing as long as they get to help. While one was helping with the dishes, one was washing the counters and the other was sweeping the floor.

My 7 year old has inherited a little bit of my OCD so when she gets to cleaning everything has to be just right. She will do everything she can to make sure it stays that way too. Her room is always clean, bed is always made and she is always cleaning up after the other two kids (even though I don't make her do it). My 5 year old girl would rather sleep in a pile of toys then to pick one up. She likes to have everything next to her because it's all so special. My boy, the 4 year old, he'll leave all his stuff on the bed but clean out a little area so he can sleep without it touching him. It amazes me how different the three of them are. But when it comes to helping Mom do the chores they will do anything we need to get the house clean.

Now if you said it's time to clean, they won't do it....but chores are OK. It makes me laugh how just one word can make the biggest difference in a little mind. My nephew would not drink water for nothing when he was just little. My mom had a culligan machine and I told him it was High Quality H2O and that's all it took. That's all he wanted to drink from then on. Even though it was still water it was called something different so he was OK with it. I love kids!!!!

So do your kids do chores? Do you have a set schedule or a chart you use?

How about an allowance? I haven't started giving my two younger ones allowance yet because even though they know what money is, they lose it, play with it, tear the dollar bills apart. My 7 year old of course saves every penny she finds. Again, amazing how different they are!!!

What do you think a good age for chores is??? Granted they have to be able to see the dishes in the sink to be able to do the dishes, or tall enough to put the clothes in the washing machine, but is there really an age that is too early to teach your kids about chores and cleaning up after themselves? Any thoughts or opinions, please leave a comment.