The Musical Chairs of Family Chores

[Deleted07]

New Duggar article from TLC...

http://parentables.howstuffworks.com/fa ... pgn=fbtlc1

In a large family like ours, keeping up with the chores is just a fact of life. We have different chores, or jurisdictions, that our kids are responsible for, and we have a chore chart to keep track of all of them. Our daughter Jessa (19 years old) is such an organizer in our family (and I'm so grateful for these different children who have all these different strengths in different areas). Every once and a while we'll change up the jurisdictions, and Jessa distributes new chores to the kids for me because I've been so busy.

So the other day Justin (9 years old), came into my room with his clipboard and his little pencil and was just diligently working. And then he looked up from his clipboard and said, "Mama, did you brush your teeth yet?" And I said, "Well, nope but I was just getting ready to." And he said, "Oh, okay, good." And he walked off with his little clipboard in hand and then I looked at my husband Jim Bob and said, "What was that all about?" And he said, "Jessa reassigned the chores and the jurisdictions and she added a new one onto the list: She's making sure that everybody gets their teeth brushed, and Justin is the one in charge of the checklist." So apparently we're going to have some kind of a reward for those that brush their teeth three times a day.

And so everybody's chores had changed, and now our daughter Jennifer (4 years old) is just beaming and beside herself because her job is to gather the laundry, and that was Jackson's job. And Jackson was very happy to pass that job onto her because once the kids master a chore they're ready to move on to the next thing, and they don't really want to keep doing it. In fact, Jackson kept saying to me, "Isn't it time for somebody else to gather the laundry, Mama? You know, I am getting bigger."

The other day he was telling some family friends, "I don't do the laundry anymore, I have the trash job. But my job is really stinky -- I do the upstairs trash and that's where the diaper pail's at." And I said jokingly to him, "Yeah, Jackson, but you're so big now, you're 7, you can handle that; it's nothing for you." And then he smiled big and said, "Yeah, I can." It was so cute.

All the kids look forward to the change of the guard in chores. We're all a team. We have to work together, and everybody pulls their load. And whether the kids are little or big doesn't make any difference -- they can all do their part. Our daughter Jordan helps put the socks together, and while she's 3, there are certain smaller things that she can do. And she knows that she's a big girl and she gets to do it because it helps the family. And if she wasn't doing her chore we wouldn't have our socks mated, though half the time we still don't! But still, she's doing the best she can; we all are!

:|

[Feberin]

What's Michelle's chore? Oh wait I suppose that's having horizontal fellowship with Jimbob.

[Deleted07]

What's Michelle's chore? Oh wait I suppose that's having horizontal fellowship with Jimbob.

Precisely! I just guffawed at the line "because I've been so busy." BUSY DOING FREAKING WHAT MICHELLE!?! :evil:

[MrsYoungie]

Precisely! I just guffawed at the line "because I've been so busy." BUSY DOING FREAKING WHAT MICHELLE!?! :evil:

Busy giving speeches and recording messages for her miscarried foetus. Pimping her family out for Santorum, protesting abortions.

They talk about working mothers vs. stay at home mothers - but she practically has a full time job and it takes her away from her family a lot!

[Deleted07]

Busy giving speeches and recording messages for her miscarried foetus. Pimping her family out for Santorum, protesting abortions.

They talk about working mothers vs. stay at home mothers - but she practically has a full time job and it takes her away from her family a lot!

Totally right!

[bbfreethinker]

Did anybody else notice that she spelled Jordyn's name Jordan. Seriously, Michelle can't even spell her own daughter's name right?

[ElphabaGalinda]

Michelle is busy? Busy trying for more blessings and in between that continuing to find new ways to exploit her family and hang on to her rapidly disappearing fame. Sure some chores for kids are okay, but Michelle needs to do SOMETHING. Guess that's why she had 19 kids...so she would never have to do any work.

[FJismyheadship]

Did anybody else notice that she spelled Jordyn's name Jordan. Seriously, Michelle can't even spell her own daughter's name right?

I noticed. I yelled "She did not just spell her daughters name wrong!" Like seriously, she was the one that had the final say in the kids name anyway...

[ElphabaGalinda]

At least she knows she has a daughter named Jordyn, or should I say, knows of her. Someone else probably had to tell her that Jordyn is 3.

[FJismyheadship]

At least she knows she has a daughter named Jordyn, or should I say, knows of her. Someone else probably had to tell her that Jordyn is 3.

She lurked over here until she learned her daughters name and how old she is haha

[emmiedahl]

She always says that her job is to organize and rally the troops, but apparently she doesn't even do that! I mean, if she had even a hand in the running of the home she would know about the tooth brushing checklist.

[Markie]

Jordyn: Josie Duggar's, not quite year older, sister. That's what Michelle knows. She has spent some time with Josie, just not with many of the other last 1/3 of her kids. How crazy is it that 1/3 of the Duggars is either six or seven kids - if you don't want to divide some up...

Wonder if Joseph, Josiah, Jer or Jed got lunch or dinner meal preparation as a new chore? Maybe Joy will only have to work once a week mowing the lawns in season?

[ceg045]

From the comments on the post:

I love to read about the family, however the person who transcribed Michelle's notes, made one error. Jordan Duggar does not spell her name that way, it is Jordyn Duggar!

Denial is a powerful thing, Duggar fans.

[FJismyheadship]

Hahahaha as if she's that special that she gets someone to transcribe notes for her... that costs money for one and old Jim Bob is cheap!

[bananacat]

I suspect that if you looked at the chores of the older kids, there would be a big imbalance between the boys and girls. I doubt John David even has any chores beyond he occasional car oil change or other "manly" things that don't need to be done frequently.

[snickerz]

Why did Johannah get out of laundry gathering? Shouldn't she have been next up after Jackson? It skipped her and went to Jennifer.

[O Latin]

Did anybody else notice that she spelled Jordyn's name Jordan. Seriously, Michelle can't even spell her own daughter's name right?

Not to defend them (because I might be totally wrong), but it's been speculated that they "write" these things using some sort of voice recognition software, so maybe said software just went with the common spelling. They should have taken the time to proofread, though.

[xReems]

n a large family like ours, keeping up with the chores is just a fact of life. We have different chores, or jurisdictions, that our kids are responsible for, and we have a chore chart to keep track of all of them. Our daughter Jessa (19 years old) is such an organizer in our family (and I'm so grateful for these different children who have all these different strengths in different areas). Every once and a while we'll change up the jurisdictions, and Jessa distributes new chores to the kids for me because I've been so busy.

"Fellowshipping" with JimBoob doesn't count as "being busy." We're so sorry that being a mother and raising your own children that you proudly claim God has rewarded you with with that stupid smile on your face is cutting into your fellowshipping and bumming around and doing nothing while your older daughters do all the work for you.

[pixydust]

She always says that her job is to organize and rally the troops, but apparently she doesn't even do that! I mean, if she had even a hand in the running of the home she would know about the tooth brushing checklist.

Yup, now she has passed on her only admitted job to Jessa!

Why did Johannah get out of laundry gathering? Shouldn't she have been next up after Jackson? It skipped her and went to Jennifer.

I have a feeling that gathering the laundry is a younger kid job, and Jackson held onto it for a longer time than normal due to not mastering it and being a bit ADHD.

*woohoo, I figured out how to double quote!*

[Constance Vigilance]

Yup, now she has passed on her only admitted job to Jessa!

Exactly! Genuinely, what does she do??

[pixydust]

Exactly! Genuinely, what does she do??

I have no proof of this, but I picture her spending the time from the moment that her period starts until she ovulates in bed, not showering, in a massive depression (so half of the month), then it's time to O, so she gets all "happy" (or crazy, whatever, same thing with her), takes a bath and seduces JimBob, then is crazy-happy for 2 weeks until her period happens again!

[Feberin]

I have a feeling that gathering the laundry is a younger kid job, and Jackson held onto it for a longer time than normal due to not mastering it and being a bit ADHD.

They also might be working on helping Johannah take on more big girl responsibilities with Joy so that when the oldest girls start marrying and leaving she's ready to step up and do a good deal of the work. Gathering laundry sounds like it might just be busy work for a little kid.

[Kitty]

They also might be working on helping Johannah take on more big girl responsibilities with Joy so that when the oldest girls start marrying and leaving she's ready to step up and do a good deal of the work. Gathering laundry sounds like it might just be busy work for a little kid.

I think a few months ago there was a thread or an in-thread discussion about Hannie getting to gather the laundry. I think Michelle got Hannie and Jennifer mixed up.