Faster Doesn't Mean Easier...

Is it just me who makes her kids do things around the house? It's come to my attention recently that many of my friends either do things for their kids that their kids are perfectly able to do themselves (fold & put away laundry, make school lunch, etc) or do things that take a lot of time for no reason (ie: folding socks &/or ironing jeans)!

Let me break this down for you: My kids are: age 18 (SS, graduated from h.s., comes over for a couple days here & there right now), age 16 (SD, finished sophomore year, comes over for scheduled parenting time), and age 11 1/2 (DD, finished 5th grade, lives here permanently). They do MANY things for themselves; sometimes willingly, sometimes not so much... but they still do it.

Age: Walking -- old enough to help parents pick up toys, books, etc.
Age: 2 or 3 -- old enough to start helping prepare meals, try to brush teeth & wash body without parental help (obviously, you still should keep eyes on them), etc...
Age: 4 or 5 -- old enough to put their own laundry away (who cares if it's folded as long as it fits in the drawers?), wipe down counters, dust, empty small garbages, etc...
Age: 7 or 8 -- old enough to empty the dishwasher (with help for higher shelves & sharp utensils), reload with assistance, make their bed, make school lunch & simple at-home foods, vacuum, empty larger garbages, home improvement assistance (painting, using a screwdriver &/or hammer), etc...
Age: 10: old enough to properly feed animals (cats or larger -- understanding portion control), gather & separate laundry to be washed, clean the toilet, load dishwasher, etc...
Age 12: old enough to do almost any regular chore & required food prep for most meals, can now babysit (in Oregon, you can take a babysitting safety class at age 11), etc...

Now, obviously, this is NOT an "all-inclusive" list. I also hope you understand that some kids can do these things (& more) before these ages. This was to give you an idea of what kids are capable of, if WE JUST LET THEM! No, the toilet isn't going to be as perfectly clean as it is when YOU do it, but "It's just easier if I do it" shouldn't be your motto. Teach your children how you want it done; MAKE the time, and find the patience to do so. In the end, you'll still have (most of) your sanity and they'll know EXACTLY what it takes to keep your household running smoothly.

For the record -- my 18yo & 16yo now do their own laundry, my 11 1/2 yo will help by collecting/swapping loads/folding/etc. All the kids take out trash/recycling, load & unload the dishwasher, set & clear the table, cook occasionally, vacuum, dust, clean the whole bathroom, and much more... They don't always do it "my" way the first time, but with some encouragement (or full-on just watching them do it, start to finish), it's eventually done correctly.