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Kids across the country are celebrating their freedom - schools are letting out, and summer break is officially on!  After a year of dealing with school (which isn't most kids favorite thing to do with their time) and a pandemic - they totally deserve it.  Obviously, the working adult(s) in the house aren't getting a 2 month-plus vacation.  So, barring a week or so you may take for a family getaway - what do you have planned for your kid(s)?

I have a 12-year-old who just successfully completed another year of school, and he told me that he was looking forward to sleeping late everyday and generally having a lazy summer until football practice starts.  While his mother and I agree that he should have a few days of well-earned lethargy - we're not spending all summer in the bed.  In fact, we will be increasing his work load in regard to chores in about a week.

Laundry, vacuuming, walking the dog, taking the trash, and most importantly cleaning his own bathroom are all about to fall onto his list of responsibilities in a much bigger way than they did during the school year.

Don't take this the wrong way, my boy is incredibly responsible and I am super proud of his drive to help around the house - I just want him to do more for 2 reasons.  Number one: With our 3-year-old entering her barbarian years (wields any blunt object as a weapon, screams a lot, etc.), so any help he can give will be awesome.  Number two:  One day, he will be on his own and his parents don't want to wade through a mountain of filth when we come to visit him.

If you are in the process of deciding which chores are right for your kid(s) this summer, here's an article from Scary Mommy that helped us - especially when it comes to the  appropriate amount of screen time, rewards, and age-appropriate duties.

KEEP READING: 50 activities to keep kids busy this summer

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