Chores for Teen Boys
January 20, 2009
We are firm belivers that boys need a high level of responsibility! They will one day be responsible for a job/business, a home and a family.
Boys do need to know how to do the household chores, even washing dishes, cooking and cleaning the bathroom. THIS is real life, everyone will have to do it at some point. Don’t neglect teaching them kitchen duties and shopping just because they are boys.
By the time they are 12ish they need to be able to keep the yard looking nice, not perfect, but cared for. They can keep the yard mowed, beds weeded, plants alive (watering), leaves raked, etc…
During the spring-fall season give them a garden, even a small one, to be responsible for. Keep it simple to start with. ALL boys need to know how to till the ground and bring forth some sort of fruit. There are so many life lessons in doing this!
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Boys can also have the responsibility of keeping the car cleaned out and washed.
If you have a squeaky door, or something that is loose, let him research how to fix it, with Dad’s OK of course.
Don’t underestimate the ability of your sons. They are MUCH more capable then we give them credit for.
I’d love to hear what some of you require of your older boys.
Topics: Responsibility | 4 Comments »
Comments (4)
This is very good…Sons are capable of doing many things. All of my sons iron their own clothes (beginning at about 6 years old….not perfect, but done). They mow the yard, feed the goats, change tires, chop wood, help their dad cut trails in the woods, (the oldest boy just recently used a chain saw for the first time…) till garden, weed garden, help move chicken tractor (a portable chicken house). Help process our deer and chickens when we have that chore. They also wash dishes, vaccume floors, help clean up the kitchen after supper, and occasionally they cook..(youngest boy today helped make bananna bread) make cookies….they often protest at some of this more “girlie” work, but do it anyway.
Of course they also play their stupid computer games. A boy’s got to have a little recreation amidst all that work, right?
I appreciate this website…there are so many other things we need to learn to do…
Our sons (15, 8, 4) have a variety of jobs they do. The oldest is in charge of chopping wood for our wood furnace and making sure it stays running during the night. the younger boys are in charge of taking care of all the trash and making sure it gets to the street. They also help stack wood, do all the yard chores, take care of vehicles, etc. When the older ones are working, the younger ones are right there watching and helping as they can.
Cooking and cleaning are also paramount to their chores. All our older children rotate through cooking with the younger ones as helpers.
Children are such a blessing and actually can make life easier as they get older – if they are trained when younger.
Maybe you’ve already posted about it and I missed it, but do you have any recommendations on how to keep the children diligent?
I am having a problem with this with my children!!!! I have an egg timer which I use, but I am not sure what the consequences should be if they do not finish in time (which they never seem to do). It’s getting frustrating because nothing is working.
You can email me if you are more comfortable…
mjkmatlock@yahoo.com
Don’t be afraid to be blunt… maybe it’s me???
Great post! For about 5 years I have been homeschooling my now 17 year old grandson. Since Day 1, chores have been considered part of his real-life education.
He (rotating with his sister) vacuums, cleans the kitchen, washes the dinner-dishes, walks the dogs, mows the lawn, knows how to do the laundry, home maintainance things with Grandpa’s supervision, shovel the snow and many other routine things. Does he enjoy chores – nope, but real-life lesson #1 is that life is filled with doing things we would rather not do. Even a job you love has those “chore” components.
Also, I believe it’s important for him to know how to do things for the time when he may live on his own or if married, to help his wife.