Healthy Relationships Support Group
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I have 5 kids. My oldest is 11. He helps out around the house a bit, mainly keeping his room clean and doing dishes. He also helps get breakfast in the morning (cereal) and sometimes (maybe once or twice a month) will make sandwiches for lunch. My next son, 9 years old, clears dishes and wipes the table after meals and keeps his room clean. The other kids are all under 5 years old and I just have them clean up after themselves.
Question, am I asking too much of the older kids? I know moms who don't have their kids do any chores, one reason being it's easier to do t themselves, and another reason being that they are just kids and cleaning their room should be the only requirement. That revues them to clean after themselves, but doesn't put the burden of a household on them. So, am I asking too much having my son do dishes after dinner every night? I do dishes if they need to be done all the rest if the time. I have just felt like a horrible mother lately and I am feeling like doing everything for them.
Question, am I asking too much of the older kids? I know moms who don't have their kids do any chores, one reason being it's easier to do t themselves, and another reason being that they are just kids and cleaning their room should be the only requirement. That revues them to clean after themselves, but doesn't put the burden of a household on them. So, am I asking too much having my son do dishes after dinner every night? I do dishes if they need to be done all the rest if the time. I have just felt like a horrible mother lately and I am feeling like doing everything for them.
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My 6mo twin DD's are EBF and just started rice cereal on the first. Everything has been going fine except this morning one of them had a diaper rash (lots of redness around her anus). I read this as one of the signs of an allergy. BUT I did just buy a different brand diaper yesterday (which they have used randomly before w/no issues). Do you think its the cereal or the diaper? Im ready to start...
I think it is unfair to expect to for older kids to babysit younger kids all the time, like my mother made my sister babysit me.
Otherwise, chores are good!
My youngest child has just gone off to start her college career and she is seriously concerned about some of her friends who have never been expected to do anything for themselves. She is expecting them to be calling on her to do things for them.
I think as long as you acknowledge and appreciate the help that they are giving you that can go a long way too.
Also, just throwing this out there, one of these kids was spoonfed until they were 5 years old. I've always wondered if these kids were being held back, but sometimes it makes me wonder if I do enough for my own kids. The more I think about it, though... I've given them responsibility and expectations, which is real life experience. I think I'd rather they be prepared for life than be dependent on their mother for the rest of their lives, even though I do love being needed.
But the way he was raised is each kid had one chore. One chore. And it wasn't cleaning their rooms. His was to take out the garbage. That's it. When I met him he was 20, and his mother still cleaned his room!!
I believe it's good to teach kids to clean up after themselves, and to help other's clean up as well. I'm a mother, not a maid, and if you don't teach your children to do certain things a maid is what you will become.