Chores

For the past several weeks my boys have been complaining about how bored they are.  I totally understand, I am not the most exciting person and it can get boring.  However, I am so busy cleaning up after them, that when I'm not cleaning or cooking or folding clothes, I am laying on the couch trying to gain some energy back into my limbs.  They don't understand why I am so lame.

So, I pulled the mom card and said "If you are so bored, maybe you need to do some chores."
Josh: "What are chores?"
My mom head started screaming at myself, how could I not have taught my kids about chores!!!  It is just wrong when kids think that mom takes care of everything and they shouldn't have to do anything themselves.  So, I quickly remedied that.

I talked to the co-leader of our home (okay, I know he is the head of the home, but he calls me the boss, so I am often wondering what I should call him).  So Tys agreed on the chore chart and allowance amount I came up with.

Each day the boys are responsible for making their bed (something they have never done before), and one chore.  The chores are pretty simple: take out the recycling, sweep the floor, put away the clean dishes, put away their folded clothes, and wipe off the dining room table.  I thought for sure they would need a lot of help and it really would be more work for me.  I should have known that my Josh boy would have run away with this.  He was SO excited to have a chore.  He would pop up next to my bed way too early and say "Mom, what is my chore today?  I already made my bed."

The rough draft of the chore chart.  You can see Josh's addition for Matthew on the bottom row.  :)

 

Woah.  That kid has enthusiasm.  It was fun teaching them how to make their beds and since then they are made before I even wake up.  It has only been a week and a half though, so we will see how it continues.  The deal is if they do their chore, they get paid 5 cents for the day (they get paid on Saturday).  If they don't, there is no punishment, but they don't get paid either.  I thought that would get them super motivated since they have never really had their own money before.

The first couple of days Caleb was great, and loved having a chore.  Then he decided he didn't feel like it.

Me: "Caleb, your chore is sweeping the floor."
Caleb: "I know."
Me: "Do you want to come do it?"
Caleb: "No."
Me: "I bet you would do a really good job."
Caleb: "I know."
Me: "You know if you don't do your chore today, you don't get paid."
Caleb: "I don't care."

Hmmmm.  So I just let it go.  (Which for me, is not easy.  Apparently I'm a little controlling).  But most days he is still really excited about his chore and he does a super job at them.  He spent almost 15 minutes one day scrubbing the table.  He even wiped down the chairs, it was awesome.

Josh's version of the chore chart.  He and Caleb put a sticker up when they do their chore.  Super cute.

I have been super surprised at how much it actually helps me too.  I know they are just little things, but they are one less thing I have to do and suddenly they are paying attention to the mess they are making.  Josh even wrote up a chore chart for Matthew.  I told him he was too little to understand and that I wouldn't pay him.  But Matthew doesn't care and I guess loves to work too.  So Josh helps Matthew do his chore which is great because it keeps Josh busy for a few more minutes and makes Matthew proud to help.

So far, so good.  I am liking chores.  And the allowance part is a lot of work, but really neat to give them a tithing slip with their money so they could pay the bishop their tithing on Sunday.  You would not believe how proud those two little guys were to "pay the bishop" as Caleb said.  I will have to share that story another day, it is a great one.  :)

Their piggy banks.  Caleb picked out Batman.  Daddy was proud.

 

Moral of the story: if your kids are bored, give them work to do.  They either will do the work and keep busy or stop complaining cuz they don't want to work.  Sounds good to me.