Saturday Morning Jobs

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Did you have regular jobs growing up? Every Saturday morning without fail my siblings and I would wake to a chart posted on the fridge with our names and an itemized list of 4-5 seemingly grueling chores, each with a nicely drawn check box in front and sometimes even, a smiley face. And every Saturday morning without fail we’d be annoyed with their mere presence. We could hide out watching cartoons for an hour or two but eventually either our stomachs would draw us towards the fridge where we couldn’t ignore that chart, or my mother would alert us to it directly, “No (fun weekend plan) today until you finish your jobs. They’re on the fridge!”. There was no way around it. The first step, as with any disappointment, was to deny what was clear as day in front of us. So, we head back to bed. Then anger. Comparison ( why is Spencer always getting the easy ones, MOM!?!?),  bargaining (If you want me to get an A in math I need to study for my big test!), and then a period of depression where we’d wander back over to the couch with a bowl of nachos and watch another show before finally admitting our defeat and start knocking off those chores. Sometimes, I had luck enlisting the help of a friend who really wanted to go do something with me and was willing to make that happen sooner by helping complete my jobs. And an outsider was always so much more cheery too in the process which my parents loved so they didn’t count it as cheating. Luckily! What is it about cleaning other people’s houses that makes it almost enjoyable?

I’ve yet to resurrect this Saturday morning job chart technique in my own family, but would love to hear your family traditions for jobs? Either the family you grew up in or your own? Did you have daily ones? Weekend ones? Were your parents strict or pretty relaxed about the completion of them?

Comments

Oh man yes! My brother got the easy stuff too. I had to clean the bathroom sink and counter, sweep the floors and polish the downstairs furniture. The only thing he has to do was vacuum! To this day I can’t stand a dirty bathroom counter. I also watched Anne about 69806580 times as well as Wizard of OX. xoxo

that’s so funny that your chores you did growing up affects what you consider clean now. I dont’ mind a dirty sink but i can’t stand a dirty counter top/table.

well, we don’t pay allowance, because hey, you live here too, we all want a clean space. both kids (10 &13) do dinner dishes together. vaccuuming, bathroom cleaning and dog poop patrol is taking turns, and of course everyone is responsible for his/her own room. i’m about to teach my teen how to do her laundry, as she asked!!! 🙂

I grew up with a chore list that felt like a mile long but I don’t remember being too annoyed by them (I’m sure my parents might have a different memory :)). My allowance was based on completing them so incompletion meant reduced pay. On the other hand, I could also perform extra chores to earn a little extra money when my core tasks were done.

I’ve recently started chores in my house with my kids (but on Sundays). I wasn’t sure when/how I was going to start the process but just jumped in one weeken. They have tasks like pick up their rooms, change bed sheets, clean out their carseats, water plants, vacuum, take dirty laundry to the laundry room, clean sink/toilet, etc. Other tasks for during the weekdays are setting the table and unloading dishwasher. Of course since my kids are 4 & 6, I have appropriate expectations for their ages and assist them as necessary. I know the tasks won’t be done sufficiently. It’s not the end result I’m looking for but what they learn during the process. They have a chart I print off each week they get to check off their items when completed. Once we’re all done with our chores, they get to play.

They aren’t always gung-ho about completing the chores (which is to be expected). I just explain that we all need to contribute to the family system in order to benefit from it. It also shows them that they are needed and that their work is an important to the family. I’ve noticed since starting several weeks ago that they’ve improved their abilities to complete their chores, have started to work as a team on some, and are showing some pride in their completion. It was when last Sunday my son said, “Acutally cleaning the toilet is kind of fun”, I knew I was on the right track.

Our little family chore traditions include a little rockin music, some Bosa Donuts and a spray bottle of Meyers. Or maybe even the fantastic and much anticipated Saturday morning “CLOTHES FOLDING PARTAY!” ooooh yeah. you wanna be invited!

I LOVE this! We totally had Saturday morning chores. Mom would write us each a list, too, with little check-boxes and (if Mom was feeling fancy) ilustrations of us happily doing our chores. I remember for some reason it was always my job to Windex the mirrors. And it was always the absolute best to check off the last box and get to go outside and play!

Growing up we had one daily chore and then a huge list on saturday. In the summer it included our own little garden bed we had to take care of… I hated getting my hands dirty. But now as a parent I’m planning to make up two little garden beds on our patio for Ozzy and Luca to take care of this summer. We haven’t started a long list on saturday but we do have a chore chart that I pull out one random day during the week (which ever date has no early appointments) Once school starts maybe our schedule will be more consistent and we’ll start Saturday chores? Hard to imagine it working out with my spontaneous husband.

Growing up I had chores and now I have some for my six year old daughter. Nothing major – she has to put her lunch bag and water bottle in the kitchen after unpacking her backpack. Set the table for Friday night dinner. Put her dirty clothes in the hamper. Clean up her toys in her playroom once she is done with playing.

She’s at an age where she LOVES to help cook and clean – she even sings “It’s a Hard Knock Life” from Annie while dusting! You know, pretending to be an orphan…I know that’ll change!

What I like about having chores is that it reinforces the idea that we’re all in this together. That being part of a family means everyone contributes in some way to make a nice life together.

Did you get an allowance? We had chores but got $10 a week which was pretty good back then to us!

How funny, we were annoyed every week as well. But we also had daily chores like cleaning our room and helping with dinner or dishes. I was such a sulky teenager, I was so whiny. My poor parents.

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