Involve your Kids!!!! Chores are not going to kill them!

Part of our job as a parent is to train our children how to be adults. If you have ever walked in to a Walmart then you know some parent didn't do a very good job LOLhttp://youtu.be/YvxNgdFeWqM Besides some of those issues, we need to make sure our children can survive as adults. They need to know responsibility. They need to know simply things like how to cook, clean, how to shop (lol) on a budget. I know some people think my kids have a lot of chores but it is nothing that doesn't need to be done or that they don't need to learn. They really don't complain about doing their chores ( We have trained them from day one) We always revamp the chores now & then so they continue doing age appropriate things. Taking out the trash, feeding the dogs, or cleaning up their rooms is NOT to much for children. My children do have many more than that but any kid even as young as 1 or 2 can learn to clean up after themselves. Kids also need to learn that money does not grow on trees (because trust me it doesn't!) So my opinion on allowance is my kids don't get it! When they are living on their own no one is going to give them a dollar when they make their beds. Now everyone does need to remember they are kids and are supposed to be having fun. So when my kids were little we always tried to make it fun, we would turn up the music & dance around while we picked up the house. Also  I make my own cleaners so they are safe for kids to use (& cheap) so the "fun" chores like washing the windows, I would put some stuff in spray bottles, give them a cloth & let them spray away. This would always get them in the cleaning "mood" They always wanted to help me. Because we started them young, it has became a routine and they know what we expect of them. We have a list on the wall of all of their chores & they know that mom or dad can rearrange that or ask them to do more. Because we have a lot of animals, the children have also learned how to love & take care of someone other than themselves. Even if they are 10 & you have never gave them something to do, it's not too late. Get started! Make sure you praise them & give them the pat on the back they deserve & don't be too picky. If your 3yr old is trying very hard to make her bed & it is not how you would do it, don't criticize or redo it. That will only make her not try next time because she will feel that she will never be as good as you want her to be. Do a trail and error or a practice run. make a list of what needs to be done & have the kids pick the ones they want to do. (if they are fighting over one or two than explain that you will be doing this again tomorrow & that everyone will get a chance to do all of the chores. After they have their jobs picked out. Let them do them & see who is ok & who need to adjust their jobs. Soon the children & you will know what they are able to do and what they are not. For those of you thinking I don't know what jobs to give them, here are some examples.... (there are always things that need to be done).......
make bed
set table
fold laundry
feed pets
take out trash
vaccum
sweep
empty the dishwasher
THE LIST GOES ON & ON...........

What ever you have them do or what ever their age remember to praise for things done. That is a good thing to do everyday anyway.