Re: Getting our children to do things around the house

January 5, 2008

>

> I'd say anything that works for you and yours, do it. We are all

different and so are they. I just know the allowance thing works

for us. He also does things just because he is a part of our family

and we tell him that. Families do things together to make the house

hold run. We all work together to help each other.

>

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> Be a better friend, newshound, and

> know-it-all with Mobile. Try it now.

>

getting our children to contribute to doing things around the house

is tricky. Allowance never worked for me. The best results I get are

when my daughter and I sit down with a pen and notebook. We discuss

the importance of her contributions. We work out what jobs she will

do and which ones I will do. She gets downright nauseous handling

dishes. But she has no problem unloading the dishwasher. She likes

to sweep and mop, providing the cleaner is something she can live

with. She is extreemly chemical phobic. Most everything in my house

is cleaned with baking soda or vinegar. She is begining to get the

hang of doing laundry. She has done it for years. But, folding or

hanging things neatly , well, forget it. She spent a week with some

friends over the holidays and just informed me that she now thinks

she's got the folding thing down. If you tell her to clean the

living room, she will be lost. If you tell her to pick up the

papers, sweaters, fold the throw and put it on the back of the

couch, dust, and vacuume, you may get somewhere. But you can't tell

her all these steps at once or she will be overwhelmed and melt

down. No more than two or three directions at a time. And you may

have to work up to that. If she needs special motivation, I will

tell her to do this and this and this and then we will go for a walk

together, or feed the wild birds or, go for a drive or something

else away from " work " thats fun. But when ever we do

something " fun " ,we are not allowed to bring up " work, or school, or

homework " or the fun thing is no longer a motivation.

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