Pathfinders make it a point to assign chores inside the home as soon at children are developmentally able to accomplish them. The following are inside home chores by the age of readiness:
Pick up personal items in private room - 3 years
Pick up personal items in public rooms - 3 years
Keep own room neat and picked up - 4 years
Pick up clothes and put in dirty clothes - 3 years
Put clean clothes away in own room - 4 years
Clean up table after eating - 3 years
Set table - 3 years
Bring in newspaper from outside - 4 years
Bring in mail from mailbox - 4 years
Take family pet out for walk - 5 years
Feed family pet - 5 years
Clean up after family pet - 7 years
Rinse dishes for cleaning - 5 years
Put away clean dishes - 5 years
Put away groceries after shopping - 5 years
Wash and dry dishes - 7 years
Collect waste paper baskets - 5 years
Bring out garbage to street for collection - 7 years
Dusting furniture - 7 years
Sweeping floors - 7 years
Vacuuming floors - 7 years
Keep own room dusted and vacuumed - 7 years
Clean bathroom: sink, tub, toilet, floor 7 years
Assist in spring house cleaning - 7 years
Assist painting inside walls of rooms - 9 years
Fold clean clothes - 5 years
Wash and dry own laundry - 10 years
Iron own clothes - 10 years
These chores are assigned and consequences for their non-accomplishment are ironed out in family meetings.
Natural consequences:
If the inside chores are not done by the designated person, then the house will not run smoothly and possibly evolve into a chaotic mess.
If the inside chores are not done by the designated person, then another more responsible person will most probably do them, making the errant person who is irresponsible receive the chastisement of others.
Logical consequences:
If you do not do your designated inside chore (s), then you will receive the negative consequence previously agreed to in our family meetings.
If you continue to not do designated inside chores, then you will not be allowed to bring your friends into the house because you do not contribute to the physical upkeep of the house
3.2. Outside chores
Pathfinders make it a point to assign outside chores around the house as soon as children are developmentally ready. The following are examples of outside jobs by age of readiness.
Picking up leaves and twigs - 5 years
Assist in planting flowers - 2 years
Plant flowers on own - 7 years
Watering new plants - 7 years
Weeding gardens - 7 years
Raking the lawn - 7 years
Bagging cut grass or leaves - 7 years
Sweeping the walk and drive ways - 7 years
Wash own bicycle - 5 years
Washing outside of family car - 7 years
Cleaning inside of family car - 7 years
Mowing the lawn - 12 years
Pruning the hedges, bushes and foliage - 14 years
Washing outdoor windows - 7 years
Assist in annual spring clean up of house - 7 years
Assist in painting outside of house - 10 years
Take care of changing oil of lawn mower - 15 years
Take family car in for regular maintenance - 16 years or licensed
These chores are assigned and consequences for their non-accomplishment are ironed out in family meetings.
Natural consequences:
If the outside chores are not completed, then the house will begin to appear chaotic and socially unacceptable in our community.
If an outside chore(s) is not completed by the designated family member, then another family member might step in and do it with the goal of not letting the exterior house become unsightly.
Logical consequences:
If you do not do your designated outside chore (s) by the designated time and day, then you will not be allowed to do anything else that day until the chore (s) is completed.
If you do not do your designated outside chore (s), then you will receive the negative consequence previously agreed to in our family meetings.