Chores and Returning College Students During Summer - Any Problems?

mom2and
Mon, 10 Jul 2017 17:36:16 +0000

Hugs to you OP. You are definitely not alone. My kids will sometimes be cooperative and other times not at all. One issue is the timing of the chores. Would your son have mowed the lawn when he got up, even if it was 7pm? I would sometimes get annoyed at my DH because he wanted things done when he wanted them done and if the kid didn’t jump up and do it, he would just go ahead. My kids also like to argue about why the lawn needs mowing today and it can’t wait until next week or why the garden needs mulch.

I am on the side of letting the kids know how much you need their help, while allowing them to do the chores at their own pace. I don’t care if I have to mow the lawn when they aren’t around, if they are home, they should do it. I am paying for their college and providing them with food and shelter over the summer. They should certainly pitch in to make my life easier.

As for the “consequences” some kids may not always care if the jeans are clean in the drawer or are picked up from the pile on the floor. Or will eat out of the box if there are no clean plates. If the kid has their own car and money, it is hard to have much leverage to get chores done. Of course they should pitch in just because they are members of the household, but as so many have reported here, doesn’t always happen.

Good luck.