Chores

Since I only have one kid, I forget to make her do stuff.  When you have more than one, the baby comes along and you make the older kid carry her own stuff, help you with the chores, get her own things, etc.  I guess that's why the baby of the family tends to be "babied" - no one else came along to make them step up.  (You know what I mean.  It's up to the parents to make sure the baby does more, while it happens more naturally with the older ones.)  With only one, she is the oldest and the youngest.  I forget that she's perfectly capable to act her age.  I tend to baby her.  For example, I just never stopped putting her laundry away - it's something I've always done.  So, I have to make an effort to remember to ask her to do chores.

So, here are the things she can do (some she does regularly, some she does whenever I remember to ask her to do them).
  * vacuum
  * dust
  * clean toilets
  * clean bathroom sinks
  * clean bathtubs
  * sweep the steps
  * sweep the garage (with me)
  * pull weeds (with me)
  * wash dishes
  * clean the gerbils' cage
  * put laundry from washer into dryer
  * make a lot of her own food (she's a sandwich kind of kid)
  * put her laundry away (I haven't asked her to do this yet, but it's time to start)
  * make her own bed
  * clean her own room (She can clean as she goes - when it's a disaster, it's over her head and I have to help.  Usually that's when I get rid of a bunch of junk.)
  * help me change sheets
  * help me fold laundry (towels, socks, washcloths, undies, etc.)
  * help me wash the car (she is in charge of the hose, I'm in charge of the soap)
  * I need to have her start mopping - we have a steam mop that does all the work - you just pull it back and forth on the floor

Like I said, she doesn't do all of these things regularly - she's not a slave.  And, she's only 8.  But, I bring them all in a bit at a time so she not only learns how to do them, but so she pitches in as a part of this family.  (As a homeschooler, she has a lot more free time than other kids, so I think she should do more than usual.)  I am trying hard to make sure she knows what hard work feels like, and it makes her feel good about herself to see what she can do.

What kind of chores did you do when you were 8?