**New question**What is expected of your 7 year old?

[AshleyLD]

New question... Does your 7 yr take a shower by themselves? Wash their own hair and stuff? My MOTHER says i still need to be washing her hair?

My Parents think that I am "too hard" on my DD. All i expect her to do is keep her room clean, Take her plate out to the kitchen and clear it if there is stuff left, clean up her own trash, and be polite/not whine/argue ect.

Is that really too much to ask? Should i not be asking her to clean anything? I swear i remember cleaning the whole house when i was 7.




Also, Can you give me some hints of how to have her whine/argue less?

[mississippimommy]

I expect pretty much the same things of my 7 year old. I expect him to:

make his bed
take dirty clothes to laundry room
take his plate/cup to the sink
be nice to siblings.....as much as possible
'tidy up' room, I do major cleanings
he knows to walk around and pick up toys and put them up throughout the house

[smashncakes]

If you're too hard on your 7 year old for that stuff, then I'm cruel...my 4 year old is expected to do those & more. He's expected to keep his room tidy, but doesn't have to dust or vacuum or anything like that. He also helps sort laundry, feeds the dogs & cat (with reminders), and keep his toys picked up throughout the house.

[mamatoalys]

I expect my 6.5 yr old to, clean her room, put away her already folded laundry, pack and unpack her bag for school, put her dirty clothes in the hamper, tie her own shoes (since she was 5), get herself dressed, take out and put away her own bike... we have a policy in our house of "those who can, do"

[mississippimommy]

Originally Posted by brennamathis If you're too hard on your 7 year old for that stuff, then I'm cruel...my 4 year old is expected to do those & more. He's expected to keep his room tidy, but doesn't have to dust or vacuum or anything like that. He also helps sort laundry, feeds the dogs & cat (with reminders), and keep his toys picked up throughout the house.

Same here.....my 2 year old follows them around and helps too

[savvytrav]

i can't say there is ANYthing wrong with having a 7 year old learning to clean up at least their own messes...i have a 7 year old brother who makes a meal (and cleans up) by himself for the whole family (11) at least twice a week, not to mention all the regular chores like room and play area clean up, putting clothes away, etc.
we don't expect it of him, as of course he would hardly ever CHOOSE to do any of it, but with constant polite reminders he is usually good about it. also, my parents have a rule that if general clean up after oneself isn't kept up on, privileges with friends and/or fun activities are not allowed.
i think maybe it is just helping him learn to start good habits, even if he isn't yet mature enough to take the initiative or always have a good attitude about doing things he doesn't want to.
other than that, i don't know...my own child is just a baby, so i've still got a bit before i get to experience all this fun first-hand...good luck

[Miles]

There is nothing wrong with that!

[Sigrid]

Nope, I do not think that is cruel at all. I think that is a great start to chores and I hope my boys will be doing that much at 7...right now we are working on picking up toys and not throwing the laundry around after Mom has folded it.

[wannabaGmama]

my 4 and 6 year old pick up their toys & laundry , feed the cats, put away their dishes, help me hang laundry, help make beds and sweep the floors and vaccum ( just my older child) my one year old picks up toys though so maybe just the way i am

[MrsLiberty]

There's definitely nothing excessive about that. My daughter is expected to do these things:

1) Keep her room clean.
2) Make her bed.
3) Clean the play room once a day.
4) Keep her bathroom clean (yes, she has her own bathroom, and she's the only one who uses it, so it's pretty much fair that she clean her own mess when there is one. I still sweep and mop it for her.)
5) Fold her own laundry and put it away.
6) Feed and water cat and dog.
7) Water the herb plants on the patio.

Then she's got this OPTIONAL stuff to earn extra money on top of her usual allowance:

1) Scoop the cat's litter box.
2) Scrub fingerprints off the walls.
3) Fold and put away her brother's laundry (he's 18 months, and can't do it himself)
4) Sweep the courtyard.
5) Clean the windows.

She gets $5 a week for doing all her mandatory stuff, and $1 for each chore she does on top of it, so she can really make as much money as she wants. One week, she did enough optional chores to pay for her own ASPCA membership, which she'd been wanting for months. If we're expecting too much of her, then she's a strange one for using the system to her best advantage, which is EXACTLY what we wanted her to do, draw the connection between work and money, and earn her extras.

As for getting rid of attitude and whining? No idea, but I'd love to know the answer to that question, too. LOL