I'm sure this is a "when they are capable" thing, depending on their maturity, but I am curious when your children started bathing alone? I know Madison is not nearly ready, because she would just dump out my expensive shampoo and conditioner, and never wash, but I'm hoping the time is coming. By the time I get home at night after a 12 hour shift, time is short, and it would be a life saver to not have to bathe them both. They will be 6 next month, and going into first grade next fall. Also, what chores are/were your kids responsible at this age? Shane likes to clean the glass table, and is responsible for letting Izzy out in the morning and when we get home, as well as feeding her, emptying the bathroom trash and helping fold clothes. Madison is responsible for feeding the cat, and helping fold laundry, and both kids are **supposed** to keep their rooms clean. Madison is very irresponsible, and I want to give her more chores, but can't figure out what to give her. She does try to sweep the floors, but without much success. Any input is appreciated.

By Reds9298 on Thursday, May 8, 2008 - 10:58 pm:

I don't think the chores they're doing sound light or too hard either really. At 6 and just from my experience with that age group (haven't parented one that age yet!) I'm thinking:
-pick up toys at night (if they are out in the house or pick up their room, depending on hwat's important to you)
-take care of the household pet (like you're doing)
-put dirty dishes in sink,leftover food in trash, push in chair, throw away napkin at meals
-put shoes/jacket in their place, dirty laundry in the hamper, school bag in its place
-personal care - make bed, brush teeth, get dressed
-help dust the house or run the sweeper or clean windows/mirrors (one of those)
-put away clean laundry -although I'm not sure on this one!!

I think folding laundry seems kind of hard. Maybe getting laundry out of the dryer and into the basket or just putting dirty laundry where it belongs and not in the floor.

Natalie will be 4 soon and she has to pick up toys in the house each night, and since our house is up for sale, her room needs to be spotless now, too. She puts her dirty dishes in the sink after meals, shoes have a place, jacket has a place, she makes her bed about 50% of the time, and all dirty laundry goes in the basket. She's VERY good at doing all of those things. She helps feed the dogs, but it's not *her* chore at the moment. She also helps clean windows, but again, not *her* chore. Just a couple of things I'm grooming her for.

By Debbie on Thursday, May 8, 2008 - 11:14 pm:

I have a 7 yr. old ds, and a 10 yr. old ds. My 7 yr old started bathing himself this year. I do help him comb his hair after he gets dressed, but he does the rest himself. I have to actually stay on my 10 yr old more. He has longer hair, and he tends to not wash it all over. He likes to get in and out, and doesn't do the best job sometimes. I do help him with lotion on his legs each night because he has eczema.

As far as chores, my boys both clean their rooms, make their beds, put away their laundry, set the table, clear the table, and take out the trash, and basically clean up after themselves.

By Tink on Thursday, May 8, 2008 - 11:19 pm:

I don't think most kids are able to bathe themselves until they are closer to 8yo, although I think boys have an easier job of it. Just the act of making sure all "nooks and crannies" are rinsed well and getting all the shampoo and conditioner out of her hair makes it a bit more difficult. Mads' hair is less of an issue but Bella will turn 7 soon and I still wash and rinse her hair. She does wash and rinse her body with me watching and does a fine job of that.

As for chores, I think what you have them doing is fairly age-appropriate. You can add putting away laundry, my kids started that around 4yo. My dks started wiping down the table after meals and the bathroom counters at Shane and Mads age. Dusting is probably an option and wiping doorknobs, lightswitches and doorframes can be done, all on their eye level. HTH

By Dawnk777 on Thursday, May 8, 2008 - 11:39 pm:

I don't really remember, but probably halfway through grade school. Maybe 8 or 9-ish. (for the bath).

By Bobbie~moderatr on Friday, May 9, 2008 - 01:23 am:

Dill and Callie started bathing on their own when Dill was 5.. I would wash their hair, remove the shampoo and conditioner bottles from the tub, hand them a bar of soap and a wash rag, and leave the bathroom with the door open. I would swing by and check in and they knew it. Our kitchen wall butted up to the bathroom, so I could hear everything going on while I cleaned up the kitchen. When they were done I would double check the vital area's, then we would take the shower head down and rinse off, get who ever it was out, wrapped in a towel and moved on to the next. I then would wash the next head of hair and leave the room to make sure the one I had just let out was getting dressed. The girls were born when Dill was 5 I didn't have the time to sit and wash each one of them, and they managed quite well on their own. By the time they were 8 I only went in when called in. The girls bathed together until they were 6 with the same help and by 8 on there own, but if we are rushed they will jump in together even now at 11, but they are same gender, and it has just always been to them... So they don't really care, however they are bashful when it comes to everyone else, including me.. Has to be one of those twin things, I hear so much about but seldom see...

Anyway, you know your kids, there is no time frame.. Just do what works best for everyone and get on with it... If Madison sweeps the floor and it picks up a bit of the mess it is better than none of it being picked up at all.. Let her do her thing, while you work on something else. No harm in it, she won't get better at it until she does it.. You work 12 hour days, whose going to see? Practice makes perfect...

By Luvn29 on Friday, May 9, 2008 - 08:21 am:

I did the same thing as Bobbie. I would wash hair, but let them do the rest. And you know what? They aren't going to learn till they do it. If they don't get every inch of their body with soap, it's not going to be the end of the world. My son is eight, will be nine in July, and he just started feeling comfortable with washing his own hair a few months ago.

Buy tearfree shampoo/conditioner combo when they are ready to wash their own hair, and it will make it a lot easier on them.

Also, with my dd, I had to take all the bottles out of the tub when she took a bath because I knew she'd have it all wasted. She always liked to mix things to make stuff!

By Tayjar on Friday, May 9, 2008 - 02:57 pm:

By kindergarten, both of mine were taking showers on their own. They could only use their shampoo and conditioner and their own soap. It took me a time or two to show them the amounts to use and how to really rinse their hair, but they caught on quickly. I did inspect them for about the first month when they would get out but they were washing all the important places so I quit that.

By Breann on Friday, May 9, 2008 - 03:26 pm:

My little boy is 6, and he's been showering on his own for about a year. We still help with his hair if he asks, but usually he does that very well too. He still uses baby shampoo, so it doesn't hurt his eyes.
He prefers to take a bath, because he likes to play in the water. He probably gets to do that once every week or so. Showers are so much faster and easier, and he gets the top half cleaner when he showers rather than bathes.

My dd also started showering alone around age 5-6, but I washed her hair for her for a couple of years after that. She has long hair, and just couldn't seem to get it clean on her own.

By Crystal915 on Friday, May 9, 2008 - 05:20 pm:

Thanks for all the replies!! I think I will use a suggestion I had seen here before of giving them little cups of the shampoo to use, rather than leaving bottles in there. I may start on a weekend, letting them shower, and see how they do. Shane made me laugh because I am always telling him what to wash in the tub, and before his bath last night he said "I will wash my balls and butt!!" Well, isn't that a relief, I was getting tired of doing it for him, LOL! Today they are scrubbing the marker and crayon off their walls, I cut a magic eraser in half so it fits better in their hands, and I am showing them how to rinse it and squeeze it out. Sometimes I think I don't give them enough credit, I'm afraid to let them do something because it might not be perfect, but I am trying to remember they have to start somewhere. Your suggestions for chores were great, so thanks again!!