Talk about your troubles

[Ellen]

I like that you have goals set for him, set up some type of savings program, reducing debt, paying rent, IMO it is so important to review those goals on a regular basis. Show him statements of the debts owning, payments being made, show him his accumulated savings account, stress the importance of good credit for future, these are all real life situtations that unfortunately sometimes as parents we don't discuss. This might help him want to start changing his life around.

Wow. I'm so glad that my parents did this for me starting when I was in third grade. I'm always shocked when I find out that others didn't do the same. (Including my husband's family; IMO, they spoiled their kids.)

[queenb]

Dang, you paid rent when you were 9???

[Ellen]

Dang, you paid rent when you were 9???

LOL! No, I didn't pay rent at age 9, but I did have to know how to budget, set up contributions to my savings account -- and work for my allowance!

[queenb]

Yeah, I don't see any kids these days being given a 'list' every Saturday of what they have to do before playing or getting an allowance (25 cents a week as a little kid, a dollar when we were 7&8) which migh include
1. Sweep the driveway, carport, and patio
2. Clean the grout in the bathroom
3. Use a shovel to get dog messes up.

Next week a sib would get that one, and you would get
1) Clean all commodes, bathtubs, and sinks
2) Pick up all pinecones, sticks, etc in the yard
3) Clean up basement playroom

These were on top of daily things like table setting, bed making, etc.

[Poppy Fields]

My regular/daily chores were:

Ironing the shirts and blouses for everyone in the family (about 45 a week)
Packing everyones' lunches (about 10 a day)
Cleaning the kitchen after dinner - in rotation with 3 other siblings)
Helping the youngers kids with their homework, if my own homework time permitted
Folding and putting away the daily laundry

On Saturdays:

Scrub the kitchen, foyer, and family room floors
Vacuum the 1st floor and the bedrooms
Help mind the little kids (take one or two of them with me when I went out after chores)

There were lots of other random chores to which I could be assigned. But my parents had a rule about them: if you were reading, you wouldn't be interrupted for chores. So, some of us became avid readers!

Also, allowances weren't based upon completion of chores. Work was a voluntary contribution expected of all, and allowances (a privilege) could be suspended for poor school work or poor behavior.

[SugarMama]

Yeah, I don't see any kids these days being given a 'list' every Saturday of what they have to do before playing or getting an allowance (25 cents a week as a little kid, a dollar when we were 7&8) which migh include
1. Sweep the driveway, carport, and patio
2. Clean the grout in the bathroom
3. Use a shovel to get dog messes up.

Next week a sib would get that one, and you would get
1) Clean all commodes, bathtubs, and sinks
2) Pick up all pinecones, sticks, etc in the yard
3) Clean up basement playroom

These were on top of daily things like table setting, bed making, etc.

My kids have always had a chore chart, and their allowance is based on the work they do. They can get as much as $8/week if they do everything well. We've added that if they have to be told/reminded more than once or if something isn't done properly, they lose all points for that day.

It's worked out pretty well - they sure want that "payday" because we stopped buying them toys, they have to pay for things like that themselves.

[Gutmutter]

We didn't have a lot of chores other than keeping our own stuff picked up, making our beds, doing the dishes, and setting the table. I do remember vacuuming once in a while, if asked (I wouldn't have said no). But starting in 6th grade my sister and I made all our own clothes. My folks would buy the fabric, but we sewed the outfits.

[Eastcoastmom]

We didn't have a lot of chores other than keeping our own stuff picked up, making our beds, doing the dishes, and setting the table. I do remember vacuuming once in a while, if asked (I wouldn't have said no). But starting in 6th grade my sister and I made all our own clothes. My folks would buy the fabric, but we sewed the outfits

That's fantastic, Gut! I never really learned how to sew with the exception of missing buttons or sewing up tears on a seam.

We didn't have a lot of chores either other than the ones that Gut mentioned but one chore that I absolutely hated was cleaning the chandelier. We had a crystal chandelier over the dining room table with a gazillion crystals. We had to remove each one individually and clean it with an ammonia solution. I despised that job.

Back in those days not many women worked. When I turned 16 my mom went back to work and I was responsible for making dinner. I had always helped out from time to time and I enjoyed it. In fact it served me well my final year in college. I was living off-campus and student teaching. I would come home and prepare what to me seemed like normal meals: roasted chicken with vegetables, pork chops, meatloaf, soups, stews, etc. All for little ole me. My roommates (whom I didn't know-- just needed a place for the semester) thought I was mighty strange, but then again they were eating a lot of frozen mac and cheese and pizza. Can't live on that stuff every night.

[nennie]

The greatest lady on earth went to be with Lord today. Gonna miss my mom so much.

[Unklescott]

The greatest lady on earth went to be with Lord today. Gonna miss my mom so much.

I'm so sorry to hear that.