Comments on: Summer vacation and the value of hard work

By: Dale Rose Stream

Dale Rose Stream — Thu, 30 May 2013 14:36:32 +0000

Our son Wesley is 9 years old. I have photos (of course, because I’m a scrapbooker) of him learning to use the drill to put screws into a stud wall while moving one of the walls when he was about 5, ‘helping’ dig a ditch for electrical to be run to my hubby’s shop when he was about 2, etc. Now that he is older, he is helping to insulate and reno my basement studio (again). This time it’s a complete reno though and he is able to do several more things to help out, like remove or knock down nails before we carry old framing materials outside & adding liquid nails type adhesive to my foamboard insulation as well as help to put it on the walls. This past winter he helped with our new pellet stove by doing the following: helping dad to build the pedestal base, helped us tile that base, dragging 40 pound bags of pellets through the kitchen once they’re inside, and scoops pellets into the stove. We pay him for his work; he earns money to buy his own Thomas the Train pieces now, Cars characters, or video games. He sees the advantage of working both for the results of an improved and more comfortable home (pellets are saving us @200-300+ per month so we can keep the house much warmer now!), and buying his own ‘toys’ or ‘equipment’. I offered him the opportunity to earn a regular allowance year or two ago, but his interest lagged in that area, until we began paying him to help with bigger jobs around the house. That is what is working for him at this time. Regular ‘chores’ on a weekly basis will come later.

By: Cyndia

Cyndia — Wed, 29 May 2013 18:29:46 +0000

I was raised part of my life on a farm. I always had chores, working in the garden, housekeeping and caring for my younger brothers while my mother works at the newspaper. I think some chores are great for kids; it teaches them responsibility, not only for themselves but to the family. Every person contributes. I think every kid needs to learn that. I admire parents who ensure their kids learn this, and teach them skills they can take with them into adulthood. My grandmother was the one who put a hammer in my hand, and taught me to use it. She taught me baking and sewing, and crocheting too. And gardening. None of them were skills I appreciated at the time but I really do now. Good job!

By: Nancy Williams

Nancy Williams — Tue, 28 May 2013 20:14:04 +0000

I grew up in a college town so no farmwork for me. I did have a ton of chores to do, beginning at a fairly young age as both of my parents grew up in Nebraska during the Great Depression. My father was the son of Russian immigrants so “play” was not in his vocabulary unless your work was done and your grades were good. When we did, we roamed all over town, swam, and had a great time.

Both of my daughters also had daily chores, but I kept them fairly close because the world has become such a scary place. They didn’t have the luxury of running around–instead Mom’s taxi took them to arranged playdates or the swimming pool.

By: Julie W

Julie W — Tue, 28 May 2013 20:01:37 +0000

My boys are all younger at 3, 6 and 8, but they do all have chores. And it’s a chore for me to continually teach them how to do it right!

My oldest is responsible for getting the dishes washed and/or into the dishwasher every night. He also, for some strange reason, loves to scrub toilets, so that is his job as well. I’ve also recently taught him how to do his own laundry. It’s the putting away that escapes him (and his father!)

My middle is on table-patrol every night – he clears & unloads the dishwasher, making sure everything is put away. He also should be making a quick tour of the house for stray dishes for his brother to wash. He and little share a room, and are responsible for picking up the toyvalanche that occurs on a daily basis.

I grew up on 5 country acres – we didn’t have a garden, but we did have animals, and that meant sunrise feedings, exercising the horses and filling troughs. It meant learning to drive the 1944 Ford tractor so we could take turns discing the pasture to knock down all the weeds the goats & horses didn’t eat. It meant learning to use the riding lawnmower on our 1 acre of grass.

It also meant that we had the most awesome treehouse ever in a 40-foot eucalyptus. We built bunk beds, a dumbwaiter, tables, chairs, tire swings, crows nest, etc. It took a backhoe to bring that sucker down!

I wish that my boys had more of the space that I had growing up. Although I realize that I can’t let them roam the way I was allowed to roam – take a horse, a book and some snacks and be home by sunset was the rule. Now it’s stay on our street and come in when the streetlights come on. But at least they are outside being kids, instead of inside shooting video zombies.