spouse of scouse

Teehee - I'm guessing you're a teenager. Stop messing about on the computer and clean your room!

irishbloo

We have a sixteen year girl old and a fifteen year old boy.They take turns either to load or unload dishwasher.Every Thursday they clean a bathroom each.They are both expected to keep their bedroom tidy.My son has to be reminded of this a lot.Any clothes that are on the washing line are to be folded up straight away and put in drawers and not dumped in laundry basket otherwise it will never get ironed.If they are home all day It is expected that I come home to a clean and tidy house.I also get a cup of tea made for me when I get home from work.

In return,they get bed and board,school fees paid,clothes,ipads ,skateboards,$20 every now and then for Iced coffees,$7,000 braces and holidays and camping trips.Boyfriends and friends are allowed sleep overs .I work hard for my luxuries and so do they.
I don't think its a bad deal.

Pica

Wow! I'm the eldest of 4 girls (all now well into our 50's & early 60's). At 5 years old I could change nappies and was expected to-the old terry towelling ones!
I can't remember any age after that when we never had lots of housework to do-and properly else there would be trouble. My own children lived under a less rigorous routine but still had to tidy their own things, their bedrooms and help in the kitchen & the garden.

Still Game

This could help with getting chores done http://www.theatlantic.com/technolog...chores/260524/

We were pretty self sufficient by age 10ish. One of five with a full time working single mum and completely absent in financial assistance and everything else father.

We assisted with washing up from age 6. Ironed all school uniforms and other clothes and stripped our beds from age 10. From age 12 and above made dinner once per week. This was alongside sweeping patio from age 8ish and cleaning bathrooms, floors, kitchen worktops, helping paint the house, watering the garden/pulling weeds etc..

plenty plenty moans. However it meant when I left home at 19 I could cook reasonably, knew my way around a washing machine, how to properly iron a shirt etc.. and look after myself pretty well.

It was hugely obvious when I started flatting with folk how little people could do for themselves. The ol’ ‘couldn’t boil an egg’ does not even come close.

Yes I and my brothers and sisters moaned non stop! However, we didn’t get pocket money nor driven anywhere if we didn’t do this. It didn’t mean I knew it all (far from it) and had to ask my mum (bless her soul) on many occasions how to do things, however, feel it definitely really set me up well to run my own house and gave me independence at an early age.

I think it is a good thing and no you're definitely not asking too much.

Molly Coddle

Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one who expects their kids to help out. I think they get off pretty lightly after reading this thread, I think if the boys expect me to up the ante they had better buck their ideas up!

Totally agree with the poster who said, they shouldn't have to do chores during revision, absolutely not! Their school work comes first. Always.

Someone mentioned ( sorry I don't know how to quote multiple screen names ) about me not doing the bed changes on Sunday, good idea, but their is method in my madness. We have such busy weekends and their dad, works away all week. The weekend is valuable catching up time for us all, most Saturdays we are out, Saturday nights we just all chill, I don't do any house work on Saturdays at all, unless it's absolutely necessarily. Sundays more of the same really and then after tea on Sunday, we all start getting organised for the week, bed changes etc... I suppose I could do Friday early evening-ish, it's worth a shot.


Northernbird - it always seems to be the case when children come from big families - they're all expected to chip in and do their bit, I like that, and I think it helps build a sort of comrade relationship between siblings even if they don't realise it at the time.

In hindsight I wish I had made mine do more from a younger age.


Thanks for sharing your stories everyone, it's been an interesting read! Cheers.

Molly Coddle

The best bribery technique of the 21st century.

eddie007

you are all completely MAD... my teenagers are waited on hand and foot and only ever lift a finger to accept the de pipped grapes I have lovingly peeled for them .....







NOT

jad n rich

Aside from chores I just told my teen that in his gap year he has to raise $5000 from working to pay for half of his first year Uni fees.

I thought he might have a fit, but he didn't he thought it was reasonable.

From experience teens don't appreciate what is handed to them on a plate, I think he will knuckle down and work harder if its half his money.

What are others expectations on the 30 or 40 grand plus for a uni course

carolinephillips

It is all going on HECS so DD will pay it back when she earns enough. We will pay for books, but DD has to pay for her own social life.

OzSheila

Just going thru this with our middle teenager who is due to start Uni in a couple of weeks. His course fees will be $110K (pilot)! Deal is he can live at home FOC and any earnings from p/t time job is his to do as he pleases - hopefully pay down some of his HECS debt.

Eldest is at ANU in Canberra - away from home - doing double degree. She funds her own studies and living costs with a number of p/t jobs. Has no idea of her current HECS debt.

Youngest will commence uni in two years time and is planning on going to ADFA where his uni costs and living expenses will be paid. In addition he will be paid a salary.

Do feel sorry for them and just have to hope that they get decent paying jobs to pay off their debts one day.

jad n rich

Yes I hope they can get jobs. Worries me that far more grads are churned out than required for almost every profession.

Saw that story at Xmas about Grads working in the amazon warehouse for minimum wage - UK.

I was really shocked in Canada, none of my friends 3 girls got a job with their Degree, one Degree means nothing, everyone has that bit of paper!

One spent 5 years in UNI, double degree, bi lingual and only job she could get was $11 an hour. She is actually now in australia making $24 an hour in some backpacker job.

It was a lot easier when we left school.

PunkDebutante

My 16 year old girl has a part-time job (usually only 7 hours a week) and is in Year 11. She is expected to unload the dishwasher, clean her bathroom, do all of her own laundry and ironing and takes turns setting the table. We have given up on her ever having a tidy bedroom.

My 7 year old twin girls have set chores as well. They alternate setting the table with the big sister, clean their own bedrooms, sort their laundry, feed the dog, tidy up any mess they make. Also they are learning how to clean surfaces and toilets. They also alternate sweeping and hoovering.

Molly Coddle

There's absolutely nothing wrong with that!





Yep! I'll second that!


Well my youngest wants to be an officer in the Royal Marines, so he will train in there if all goes well and they cover the costs of the degree! I like this idea let's hope he sticks to it!

The eldest, doesn't yet know what he wants to do but I'm sure it will involve science, it's his best subject and I'm actively trying to push this but without looking like I'm trying to push it if that makes sense I'm sort of slyly encouraging it. So if he does end up going to Uni, which I hope he does, then, well I actually haven't decide what I will do about the money yet, may sell our property in UK or use our limited savings but he will be helping out some way or another, even if it's just a small contribution.

jothefw

Oh dear - my two get a hard time of it!! Eldest is now 12, youngest is 11.

They do alternate days (with me doing the 31st's) for dog feeding, dishwasher unloading.

When asked, they strip their beds and with a bit of help, remake. They hoover thorough out the house when needed. They help with the garden. My youngest loves cooking and would cook every night if he could. Eldest struggles with 2 minute noodles so he's more helpful with table setting etc. They both clear the table every night but either my husband or myself load the dishwasher. (If youngest has cooked, I do his clearing).

My eldest didn't like how I made his sandwiches when he first started school, so both the boys have always made their packed lunches. Since 5 yrs onwards.

I don't think of it as chores though, often it's just joining in, if we've all been shopping then surely we can all unload the car and stack in the fridge/pantry. Eldest used to get paid for putting the washing out, and then folding it once it was dry but our new washing line is ridiculously high and now he helps me do it. Both the boys are expected to put their clean clothes away and if they've been swimming they put their washing on straight away.

I guess I want them to be self sufficient when they leave home, maybe I started it all too young but it's easy the younger they are, bit like putting the seat down! Yes, they might out number me but (bless them) they've pretty much always sat down to pee, means they don't have to clean the loo so often they've realised!

bourbon-biscuit

Aw, jothefw, I think your future sons' partners will thank you for your approach