Children, Chaos, and Chores.

I used to think that since my husband worked, while I stayed home, it was my sole responsibility to keep the house cleaned. I'd wake up shortly after he left for PT and I would start making myself presentable for the day, cook breakfast and have the kids drinks ready for when they got up. While they ate I'd clean the kitchen. Then we would all just hang out until lunch time when we would repeat our make food, they eat, I clean routine. After they would go to bed, I would clean up whatever mess they made throughout the day, then I'd go to bed. Every couple days, I'd do a big deep clean, while the kids watched TV. It was easily manageable, gave me plenty of time for the kids, myself, and my husband. Everyone was happy!

Then baby number four came along and I thought, he would fit right into our daily cycle, but he had other plans for us. He came with a very strict feeding schedule, a special diet, and weekly planner filled with appointments. I had a lot less time for the house, the older kids, myself, and my relationship with my husband. A lot of things, I started to "let go" that I never would before. Picking up the toys after they went to bed, wasn't easily manageable anymore, because by the time I got home from Handsome's pt and cooked dinner, I found myself falling asleep on the couch. Cleaning the kitchen, immediately, after I cooked each meal, was now a challenge, since usually after I get done cooking, it's feeding time for Handsome. And the deep cleaning went from every couple days to once a week.

I knew something had to give. I either had to deal with my housing looking "lived in" on a regular basis or I had to give up sleep. Neither really seemed like sane options to me...

And then I found an article online about assigning children chores. I never thought of giving my kids chores. They just seem so little, but I continued to read the article anyway. By the time, I finished it, I realized that I might just be underestimating my children's ability to help around the house and maybe I was depriving them of important life lessons, so I pulled a list of age appropriate chores off of webmd and I started working on chore lists for the kids based off these.

Chores for children ages 2 to 3
Put toys away.
Fill pet's food dish.
Put clothes in hamper.
Wipe up spills.
Dust.
Pile books and magazines.

Chores for children ages 4 to 5
Any of the above chores, plus:
Make own bed.
Empty wastebaskets.
Bring in mail or newspaper.
Clear table.
Pull weeds.
Use hand-held vacuum to pick up crumbs.
Water flowers.
Unload utensils from dishwasher.
Wash plastic dishes at sink.
Fix bowl of cereal.

Chores for children ages 6 to 7
Any of the above chores, plus:
Sort laundry.
Sweep floors.
Set and clear table.
Help make and pack lunch.
Weed and rake leaves.
Keep bedroom tidy.
Pour own drinks.
Answer telephone.

My kids don't exactly have the same chores as listed above, because each child is different. What one 4 year old can do another may not be able to or in other cases some 4 year olds may be better suited for chores on the 6 to 7 year old list. You'll have to work with your child to see what is comfortable for them, but this list can serve as a great guide in getting started.