When I was growing up I was responsible for cleaning the kitchen, vacuuming, taking out the trash, & laundry. I was homeschooled so it wasn't hard for me to get my school work done & then doing my chores. I also cooked dinner 3 nights a week from the time I was about 11, which I really enjoyed My Dad taught me how to cook when I was 4, it was a great experience. I'm going to do the same with Lu... how to respect the stove/oven & cook, starting small.
We've already opened Lu her own bank account, it's a savings account that we got her separate from my & Michael's joint account & my account that I use for business on eBay. Whatever I sell on eBay 1/2 of the money I make goes straight into Lu's savings
Lu will be helping around the house with age appropriate stuff i.e. putting up her toys & things of that nature & Michael wants to teach her how to do laundry, but making a game out of it ever since we lived @ the old apartment complex there was a little boy & his Daddy that would do laundry together & the little boy would open the dryers put the dryer sheets in, then his Daddy would hand him laundry to put in the dryer. It was funny to watch
We want Lu to learn responsibility as well, so when she's about 8 she'll be getting a pet to take care of starting on the dishes as well, rinsing everything but the glasses & knives ( that's how it was done with both Michael & myself. ) & 15 a PT job to save her own money. & when she's 17 she'll start paying bills... however I'll do what my mom did & save that money for her that way when she's in school she'll have money for books etc. We don't expect her to move out when she's 18 but we do expect her to continue paying her bills... cell phone & things of that nature. Don't get me wrong we want her to be a kid, but we grew up that way & we're the only ones out of our siblings that are stable.

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My oldest is 16 1/2
She just got her learners, Dh gave her his car which is an hyudi excel. She just opened a bank account, cos she got a job in a hospital cafeteria for the holidays, she gets about $15 an hour. She wanted to work and she got it through a friend from school who's uncles owns many of them.

I bought them up on the saying is you get what your are giving, Take it or leave it. My oldest has alot of clothes and stuff, Her make up is top of the range, But only because I like quality. She has never really asked me for brand things.

She happy with $26 sneakers but I usually spend $50-60. When my DD usually has money, im not kidding, she usually spends it on others, buying them gifts. She also said when she gets payed she wants to take me and dh to a really expensive restaraunt. I told her not to waste all her money on us, but to keep it for herself. She only just started. But she is very insisted.

Since she is studying year 11, Her only choir is the kitcten. All the other kids have their choirs as well.

DD#1 Kitchen
DD# 2 laundry and sweeping floor
DD # 3 washing down the kithen table
DD # 4 Bins and front hall way
DD # 5 cleaning up lounge room
DD # 6 Powder room
DD # 7 toy room
DS he just helps everyone LOL

I also teach them to respect people and don't talk back to adults. They also go to church every week and I don't allow any swearing and I don't swear myself, so its easier for them to follow that commandment. My kids are very spoiled with alot of things, But I also discipline them as well so its pretty equal.

They usually look out for other people's kids as well, they have that over protective for ones that are getting picked on. When we go out they usually are well behaved. Get told that all the time.

I don't allow back chatting. They have to be respectful or there are consequences. It does get hard at times,but overall if you stick to it, it all works out. They have to lend each other clothes if one of them wants to lend something. If they "dont" I stop buying them clothes thats the rules, That usually works. I buy them clothes alot!

I still pick all their clothes even the older ones. Im really fussy. They have no say LOL but they like everything I pick anyway, So do their friends. I have never had a kid scream for a toy or anything from a shop. They know when I say no its no. So they dont waste their time.

My Oldest DD is only allowed to go out if she has earned it, I make it a privilege. There for she doesn't abuse it. Specially when I give her a time to come home and her choirs must be done in the first place. She actually told my sister to do that with her kids LOL. And she told her thats what mum does with me and I think thats a good way LOL.

Although if its night, I pick her up from where she is.

Usually when one of the kids have been very helpful and doing her choirs with no problems I take them out for a day and spend that individual time with them and spoil them with things, They love it. I do keep my kids close, But when they get to a certain age they have things they are allowed to do. Going out, catching the bus etc........

Over all, I have had mums that say that my kids are very nice and polite kids, and their kids find them to be the nicest kids in the school. So I think I have done something right!

I could go on but I think it would take me forever, If I explained it all.

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How do you intend to enforce, work ethics, morals and values in your child(ren)?

She will have age appriopriate choirs as she gets older. We attend church every week unless one of us is sick. During the summers and when she is old enough she will be expected to get a job. I would like to send her to private school and enroll her in gymnastics or dance.

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Avery's parents are slobs so it's hard to interest her in being any better. (Avery is 4yo) Although, I have to say that she is required to do things like make sure her clothes and shoes, etc., are picked up and put away. She helps me with laundry. She has to pick up her toys and put them away. She helps her dad with the garden work. We have told her and continue to tell her that we are a family and we all work together to get the work done for the family. Chores are a fact of life. They will always be there and she will always be required to do her share.

Money still does not mean anything to her except when she'd like to give some away. Every time I've given her any money she always gives all of it away. Soon we will start talking about an allowance. As soon as she starts asking for things. Also I believe in giving kids money if they do something "above and beyond," like washing the car, etc. How else is a little kid going to learn that money has to be earned?

She goes to Children's Church and Sunday School every week. We read stories with morals. We tithe and we help her to give to whatever charity her church and/or preschool is giving to. She understands that part of life and "having" is giving. In fact she still wants to give things to the kids in Angola as that was the cause for her preschool last year.

We will provide her with her needs. When she is old enough to drive and work, she can work to provide for her wants. I started working at 15. It was great. I loved having money to buy myself stuff and also loved having savings! I started saving for college as soon as I started working.

I guess the only answer I can really give to that is to live it. Your children will learn what you live. If you have no ethics, morals or values, no matter how much you preach them, your kids can't learn them unless you live them.


~m

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I am trying to start now, as silly as it sounds. I have Lora crawl her toys over to me to put away. That is really the only thing at this point. Once she walking and able to move about she will hav to pick up her toys before bed and her only job once she's older will be cleaning her room. Once she is 10 she will start helping with household chores. They will be things like helping my put away the dishes, dusting the furniture, putting away laundry. Once she hits 13, she learns how to do laundry and will set the table for dinner every night. And after she starts high school - anything I tell her to do is fair game! LOL!

I want her to be involved in Dance, because I was and because a dance teacher, but I will support her in whatever she chooses, but I will have her in one extra-curricular activity. I won't force her to get a job until she has a car, at which point she will be responsible for purchasing, fueling and insuring, because I want her to focus on school. I was told to get a job when I was 16 and my grades fell. Becasue of that I was unable to get into a 4-year college, and almost didn't graduate high school.

I want to teach her to respect her elders and how to be humble. There are too many children out there that are rude and obnoxious and think they are owed for gracing us with their presence and that they are head of household and that is something that William and I will not tolerate. I will spoil her, I know I will because she is my baby girl, but I want her to learn that it should not be expected. If I ever hear her talk to me the way my sister talks to my mother and my mother to my grandma she will get smacked, regardless of her age. I want my daughter to know that she is beautiful and loved, but inorder for others to respect her she will have to respect herself and those around her. I hope that will be an easy lesson learned.

Please don't let her be as stubborn as her father and I!!!

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As soon as the boys are old enough to work (14 years old here), they will.

They will be able to keep some spending money from their paychecks but all the rest will go into a savings.

Once old enough, they will start doing chores and we will enroll them in a sport of their choosing as well as karate. We will encourage volunteering ie with animals, at the food bank, etc. When the boys come of age, I am hoping that they will want to volunteer at the Special Olympics with me.

If they want something...a cd, game etc, they need to earn it either by good grades or with their own money. We are not allowing any dating until they are freshmen in high school, and even then, if they don't have good grade, then they don't date

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As he grows older, he will have age appropriate chores (like most of you have mentioned). We hope that he will play football (actually, we pray!) or some other sport. Either way we will support him. I want him to know that school is first, and in order to play his sport his grades need to be good. He will have to learn that you can't just rely on a football scholarship, but the grades will actually be more important if he happened to not play anymore etc. He has his good grades to fall back on. He won't get a job until about high school if he chooses. I am still debating as to when he will get a car. 16, 18? I don't know yet. DH didn't get his license till he was 18 and so he wants Landon to do the same, but I got mine at 16. One thing though is that we will purchase it for him (or maybe pay half) and add him to our insurance. I think that having him worry about having to pay that every month, then it will get overwhelming. We will also be paying for his bills. It was how I was a child and all through college. Once he gets married, he is own his own though. But, I say this now...and it probably will all change down the road.

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proud wife to shane