Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Mom's have it EASY!!!

Last night I went to tuck in all the kids. As I kissed Reece good night and told him that I loved him, he said, "I hate this!" So, of course I had to find out what he was dreaming about, the conversation went like this:

Reece: "I hate this"
Marisa: "You hate what"
Reece: "My chores"
Marisa: "Why"
Reece: "Because, I have 3 chores, and you only have one chore"

Then Michael and I proceeded to ask him if he had a girlfriend or if he liked any girls. Luckily the answer was "NO" to both questions.

We had a few conversations about chores yesterday which is probably why he was dreaming about it. He had informed me that a neighbor child on our street, didn't have to do any chores at all. I responded by expressing thanks that we all do chores so we can have a nice clean home everyday.

Also, I was showing my friend Amy the chore chart I have made for Reece, and explained that in addition to his regular chores, he can do one of my chores each day and earn 20 cents per day. So, I'm wondering if he is thinking that I only have ONE chore each day, and I pay him to do it. Thus, he is doing ALL the chores around the house.

Naturally, I was very concerned that Reece thought he was doing the only chores around the house. So, last night I made a list of all the chores I was planning on doing today. I was very surprised to see them all listed. I strategically placed it on the counter so he was sure to see it in the morning. Guess who had their chores done before going to school this morning! Reece. I think mom's chore list helped.

Here is my list, there are a few things I don't do everyday, like mopping. And I don't vacuum on Saturday and Sunday. And almost none of these chores get done on Sunday. But, 5-6 days a week, I'm doing at least 20 chores each day!

  1. Pick up living room
  2. Vacuum living room
  3. Clean up kitchen after breakfast
  4. Sweep kitchen
  5. Make Maya's bed
  6. Vacuum Maya's room
  7. Straighten up messes Mason made in Reece's room
  8. Make Mason's bed
  9. Vacuum Reece's room
  10. Make my bed
  11. Vacuum my room
  12. Put a load of laundry in the washer
  13. Put away a load of laundry
  14. Clean litter box
  15. Straighten bathroom/wipe down sink
  16. Feed the chickens
  17. Feed the dog
  18. Feed the cat
  19. Feed the kids lunch
  20. Mop the kitchen
  21. Make dinner
  22. Clean up dinner
  23. Do the dishes before going to bed
  24. Re-straighten the house before going to bed
I'm sure as the day goes on, I will get to add a few more, but this list served it's intended purpose.

How do you guys handle chores around your house? Do you do them, does your spouse do them? Do your kids have chores?

6 comments:

Stephanie said...

Savanna does all the chores around here.

My list looks similar to yours, minus the litter box and feeding the chickens. Whether I actually get to all those on any given day is another story, but lately I have been vacuuming every day, so I'm proud of myself. :) Also, Nick is usually working so much that he doesn't have any regular chores he does, but I can't say he's never helped out. He'll pitch in and do the dishes once or twice a week when he's home (or when I've left them all day and all night), or he'll do laundry or vacuum. I cannot WAIT until my kids are old enough to do chores...

Kathy said...

My girls have a few "chores" - they both have to make their beds every morning - but Natalie's usually doesn't look so hot, so sometimes I help her out. Hannah's pretty good at making her bed, but it's definately not perfect looking! I just want them to get in that habit. They also have to bring their dishes to the counter when they are finished eating, clean up the toy room at the end of each day (sometimes that one doesn't happen, heh), and when I'm putting laundry away I make them put their own clothes in their dressers. Yikes, it sounds like a lot - but whatever. Other than that - the list here is like yours (sans pets though).

Amber said...

You vacuum and wipe down the bathrooms EVERY DAY?!? I AM a bad

Unknown said...

Amber, you aren't bad. I have 3 kids spitting into the sink morning and night, and 3 kids, a dog and a cat walking on the carpet. Trust me, it has to be done daily.

Brandi said...

Oh, Chores! I DO only have one chore--CLEAN THE HOUSE. That is all I do, it feels like. We (me and Eric) decided when we got married that he would take care of the outside of the house and I would take care of the inside. I feel jipped! He only has to do work once a week in the spring and summer and in the winter, he doesn't have to shovel the sidewalks because our house faces the sun and melts before noon. I think we need to rearrange that little agreement.

I love what you did with Reese. Very nice approach. I need to try something. Hayden's already givin' me attitude about chores. ALREADY!

dishes and laundry said...

Great post! I do most things on the inside of the house - but Troy will always pitch in if he's home or if it's a big job like cleaning out a storage room. He's does dishes and laundry like a pro - though I think he puts too many clothes in at once. Am I going to correct him? No Way!

He's in charge of the garage - and it's a mess. He does 90% of the yard work, and now Cameron is mowing, so that's cool.

My boys just went off track and I'm trying a new chore thingy. Since I head off to the school before they even get up, I'm leaving a list of just one or two simple things (unload top or bottom shelf of dishwasher, empty all garbages, fold a load of towels, etc.), plus 20 minutes of reading. And then they can play computers until I get home. Of course, this morning, I didn't get the list made before I left. Sigh.

I like to do chores together. Everything is more fun with a partner and with music, so I often just say "Can I help you clean in your room?", or "Let's go fold some clothes together." I'm probably too lenient, but I really don't want to have too much conflict over chores right now.

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