Give kids chores to do, but do it in moderation

Give kids chores to do,
but do it in moderation

EDITOR:

While I agree that chores teach kids responsibility and get them ready for their life as an adult, I disagree with parts of “Chores are still good for the kids” by Stacy Downs.

“Setting and clearing table, dusting, feeding pets” were listed as age-appropriate chores for ages 4 and 5. I don’t think parents should let 4- or 5-year olds handle sharp utensils such as forks and do parents really want their 4 or 5 year old to handle glass cups and dishes?

Chores recommended for ages 6 to 8 were, “Making bed, taking out trash and recycling, folding and putting away clean clothes, vacuuming and mopping.” I don’t think that 6-, 7-, and 8-year-olds should be mopping because of the fact that they would be using detergents that could get in their eyes.

“Doing laundry, washing pots and pans, cleaning bathroom” were recommended for ages 9 to 12. I can’t think of any 9-12 year old personally who does laundry or cleans the bathroom. Those are jobs for a parent. I don’t know if other 12-year-olds trust themselves doing laundry, but I sure don’t. Being a kid is supposed to be the best time of your life. I wouldn’t be having a good time washing clothes a fourth of the day. As parents if you had your kids wash the clothes and clean the bathroom, wouldn’t you feel guilty?

Chores for 13 to 18 were: “Mowing and weeding lawn, preparing grocery lists, cleaning oven and refrigerator.” The only thing that I disagree with here is that I think the person who cooks in the family, usually the adult, would know better what to get, so I think they should prepare the grocery list.

I also disagree with the section on single-parent situations. My parents are divorced, and the only chore I have at my dad’s is taking out the trash and recycling, and I get paid. My sister does the dishes at my dad’s, and she also gets paid for the weeks that we’re at my dad’s house. My only other chore is dog-poop duty, and I do that because I was the one who wanted a dog. But my dad still picks up dog poop more than I do. My grandma is the biggest reason why my dad’s house looks so nice. She cleans the bathroom, changes the sheets, makes the beds, cooks when my dad’s not home, and takes care of the dog when my dad isn’t home.

At my mom’s house, I have no chores and it doesn’t look that messy. I think any house with a 12-year-old and a 16-year- old would look a little messy. My mom does pretty much everything around the house. If I want to earn money, there is a list of chores on the counter.

I want to thank my grandmother for showing me this article. It’s not a bad thing for kids to have chores, but I think some parents go overboard with chores.

TIM NESNIDOL, Age 12

Canfield

Take a hint from Florida

EDITOR:

For those local and Columbus politicians with an eye toward re-election, here's a borrowed idea from the state of Florida that is sure to make Ohio families with kids happy. It's Florida's Sales Tax Holiday, held annually for one week at the end of August, which allows families to buy back-to-school clothing, supplies and books without the burden of sales taxes.

For each individual clothing purchase up to $50, or school supply purchase up to $10, there is a moratorium on the sales tax. And, that's each individual purchase, so a family can buy as many clothing items as it wishes without tax. The law covers local taxes as well, so the benefit is substantial, especially for families with several kids.

Let's give it a try, Ohioans. Our people can use the break.

SAM BROWN

Warren