Chores

We tried having a washing up system, but everyone exploited it.

Actually, I say we, but my brother was excused chores because he was at boarding school, and whenever he came home, he was "on holiday" and so didn't have to do them. My dad? Chores? Hah.

I think half the reason I became a vegetarian as a teenager was so I could opt out of both the cooking rota and more importantly the washing up rota.

xpost

No more dealing with my mum's stinky, stinky trays of encrusted roast chicken goo.

did noone else get paid?

For years we didn't have to do anything much except keep our rooms tidy and looking back I think my mum was far too soft. (I say mum because my dad didn't do anything much either.) Once we were teenagers - and with a new stepdad - we did have to set and clear the table and load/unload the dishwasher/wash up. And I ironed occasionally and made cups of tea. But I don't think I ever cleaned a toilet, bath or oven, or used a washing machine, until I left home.

We got about 50p for sweets once a week I think, and then later as a teenager I got a small allowance to supplement the money from my part-time job, but nothing was explicitly tied to doing chores.

$25 per year, right? I seem to remember getting 50p to wash my dad's car when I was young but it was still a big pain in the arse - until we got a long hose, at least.

For a few years (maybe 11-14 or so) my little brother and I had a chores rota and although it wasn't much fun, we didn't complain and it was made pretty fair. I have no idea why we abandoned it after that, though I had no complaints either.

I do now, mom, I do now.

but when you think about it it's easier to do the rota and have one person do that lot for less times. something to do with economy of scale or seomthing

but i don't remember doing too too much before age 10. probably clothes folding, sweeping, weed pulling, picking up toys, "fun" chores. then it became: dishwasher load/unload, sweeping, vacuuming, table setting/clearing, dreaded pots&pans washing (before dishwashers were good at that), lawn mowing, room cleaning (oh haha - but one can be both clean *and* messy, right?!), laundry. i think we all sucked at proper bathroom cleaning for a while (and hated it), so that came later in the teens.

downside: now i cannot deal with being in dirty houses, esp bathrooms and kitchens, omg instant turn-off. clutter is one thing, mold and crumbs everywhere is another.

but xpost I don't think that's true. It's much quicker for everyone individually to put things away/mop up spills etc as they occur - which takes almost no time because you learn to factor it in to your activity. Then the actual 'cleaning the house' chore, whoever does it, is also quicker and easier.

Mum was a stay-at-home mum, so did most of the housework during the week when we were at school, so apart from helping with the dishes, chores were for us to 'build character' I guess.

My parents started making me babysit my four younger siblings when I was eight. They figured if I was old enough to get baptised I was old enough to take care of them. We'd each get assigned a couple of chores & if they didn't complete them it was on my back. I usually ended up doing it all.

Whine whine whine, I know. That is why I hate doing chores today. All except cleaning the bathroom, which is so money in its instant gratification. That is seriously why all ads aimed at the housewife show grotty tile instantly purified by their product. It's a really satisfying experience.

Today I despise chores and put off the cleaning as long as possible, but I kind of like yard work.

i think this may have been the reason i was never made to do anything (and why brother and father still don't)

For a while? Surely Abbott is the only one who actually likes it (the freak :))?

I didn't put any magnets up at our new house b/c the new fridge is a behemoth stainless steel job and I didn't want to mar its beauty.

What is not helping now is a partner who, much as I love him to bits, is one of those eccentric mad scientist types who is constantly caught up in his work and hobbies (coding, mostly). We had a long drawn out talk about sharing housework the other day as I had got fed up with the state of the study - it stinks like an old mans pub in there from the thick layer of cigarette ash and smoke and there was ash and butts ALL OVER the desk, I'm not exaggerating, it was gross. When I went off at him he said "but I'm caught up in my work, I really dont care if the room is messy, it doesn't bother me".

IT BOTHERS ME! And I am not cleaning it if I didnt mess it up! What is it with guys trying to pull the "but I dont know how to" or "but I dont mind the mess" routine? *&&%^%#$#@