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PATHFINDER Parenting:

Tools for Raising Responsible Children
By: James J. Messina, Ph.D.
T - Tracking Pathfinder Structures for Children
3.0 Household Chores for Children
3.1 Inside home chore
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.