The Chores Dilema

So I've been mulling this post over in my head for the past week or so and I've decided to give it a go even though it's not exactly about homeschooling.  Chores, though, can be a bit like Home Economics.  I never had Home Ec. when I went to school - as a matter of fact I don't even know if it's taught anymore - and while I was glad when I was in high school once I moved out of my parents house I was a bit sorry that it was never an option.  I still remember the look on my future husband's face when I told him I had no clue how to work a washing machine.  The shock and disbelief on his face would of been hilarious if I had been joking, but I wasn't so instead it was just plain embarrassing.  Same with the time I had to tell him that the toilet wouldn't flush and could he come and fix it, please?  The problem?  The chain fell off of the handle.  I had no clue that the handle was even attached to a chain.  And while "How To Fix A Toilet" or "How To Operate A Washing Machine" were probably not topics covered in Home Ec., the class would of (ideally) taught me some of the things you need to know to function as an adult in the world.

Before that moment with the washing machine I was rather proud of my lack of skills.  I looked down on women who cooked homemade meals, who sewed, who stayed home and took care of their families, etc.  I mean, the 1950's were over with!  Feminism had happened!  Didn't women realize that they could be anything that they wanted to be?!?  Why on earth would you cook a homemade meal when you can eat food out of a box or a can?  Who would want to sew their own clothes when they could just go buy some from the store?  Who would deliberately chose to be stuck home all day caring for their family?  Not me!  No thank you!  Work a washing machine?  Why would I need to know how to do that - oh, wait, that's right.  To have clean clothes.  Huh.  I don't think I thought this feminism thing through that well...

Yeah.  It was an eye opener all right.

Now, I'm the exact thing that I scorned at when I was 18.  I stay home, take care of my family, cook homemade meals, and even know how to work a sewing machine - and I love all of those things.  Life's funny like that, I guess.

So, when my kids grow up and move out I want them to know how to work a washing machine and how to cook something that doesn't come out of a can.  They don't have to learn how to work a sewing machine if they don't want to, but they do need to know some basic skills and chores are the perfect place to start at.

Until this week Optimus Prime and Bumblebee's chores were pretty basic.  Clean their bedroom, pick up their mess in the living room, feed the dogs, wipe up their bathroom sink with a washcloth at least twice a week, put away their laundry and rinse dishes for me when I wash them.

(Yes, I hand wash dishes.  Don't hate.)

This past week I decided to shake up their chores for two reasons:

1. They are getting so bored doing the same chores over and over again that they are starting to complain.  This does not help me out at all and turns a five minute chore into an hour long stressful event.
2. They need to learn different skills.

So they still have to clean their bedroom, pick up their mess in the living room, feed the dogs, put away their laundry and wipe down their bathroom sink.  But now they also have to sweep the kitchen floor and help me make lunch and dinner.

It's still all pretty basic.  Nothing crazy.  But all of it is building blocks to bigger chores and functioning on their own one day when they are an adult.  Cleaning their room turns into making their bed which turns into changing the sheets on their bed.  Cleaning up the living room turns into vacuuming the living room.  Rinsing dishes turns into washing dishes.  Feeding the dogs turns into walking the dogs.  Cleaning up dirty laundry turns into washing laundry.  Putting away clean clothes turns into folding clothes.  Helping to make dinner turns into cooking dinner on your own.  Or, at least it does if you provide your kids with the tools to build upon and learn those skills.

Chores are important.  I used to think that they were a huge burden that the parents were supposed to do while you were busy hanging out with your friends, and my parents never really did anything to make me see them in any other light.  Yes, I had chores growing up but I really resented them.  To my teenager mind the only chore I should of been in charge of doing was cleaning my own room (which, truthfully, was usually pretty clean).  My parents never took the time to sit me down and explain how unfair my expectations or beliefs were.  Now I see that not only does everyone need to pull their own weight but that if they never strive to do more then the bare minimum they are setting themselves up for failure.  Like my lack of washing machine and toilet skills.  

So what do they get for doing chores?  Aside from living in a clean house that runs somewhat smoothly?

They make $3 a week (each) that they can spend on any toy, movie, or book that they please.  If they refuse to do their chores there is a penalty of 30 cents for the first chore and 10 cents for every chore after that.  Also, as an added incentive to not waste their money on toys and movies (not that I have any problem with toys and movies they just have so many already that I cringe every time they buy more) if they buy a book their dad an I go halves with them.  Just the other day Bumblebee wanted to spend his money on the last Dinosaur Cove book.  The book cost $4, he spent $2 and I spent $2.  It was a win-win as far as I was concerned.  He only had to spend one weeks money on it and he had change leftover, and there was one less toy in the house for me to trip over.

Like I said - win-win.