It’s good for parents to give their kids chores to do, but should the list of chores change as they get older and go out into the workforce?

In this story, one teenage girl is supposed to do the dishes, but she’s so busy with school and her part time job that she has trouble keeping up with the dishes. She wants to stop doing her chores, but she’s not sure if that’s the right thing to do.

Let’s read the whole story.

AITA for not doing the dishes everyday even though I live with my dad and he pays me an allowance?

I (17 F) am in high school and live with my dad and 2 younger siblings.

We all have our own chores. My youngest brother cleans the living room because he is too young for any other chore. My oldest younger brother does Laundry and I do dishes.

My dad pays us for these chores (which I understand is a privilege).

There’s an important side note about her relationship with her dad.

Now I feel its important to say before I continue that my dad left when I was 5 and was gone for 10 years before coming back and I have had to stay with him until I can find a better place to stay.

I say that only because this could be because of some sort of resentment and pinpointing where/if I’m wrong would help me to realize what I need to fix.

She’s hardly ever home anymore.

I recently got my first job; attending school with a job has proven difficult so sometimes coming home from work I forget about dishes or decide I can do them later because of how tired I feel.

My job has also caused me to go days without seeing my dad or other family members because of how long I’m at work.

I also don’t eat at home anymore because he doesn’t think about me when making/getting food so I always end up trying to find my own way to get food (often fast food).

I feel like I’m taking care of myself (feeding myself and others if I have them over, worrying about any problems at school/ work by myself, ect.) and feel the constant mental weight of it.

She doesn’t really want to do dishes anymore.

I wouldn’t mind not getting an allowance due to my job paying my plenty to take care of myself but my dad has trouble picking up after himself and will often leave plates of food and cups of drinks mostly milk on the table making it turn almost solid.

And I either have to pick it up or he gets mad at me for “Not completing my chore.”

But he often tells my oldest little brother that since dishes is the “worst chore” he should clean off tables for me so its not as much and when he doesn’t it falls on me.

He also leaves clothes and other things scattered around the house.

It sounds like she resents her dad.

I feel like a stranger in my home but when i talk to him about it he complains about how hard his job is and how he has it worse.

My dad gets mad when I take naps so trying to nap then do dishes doesn’t work cause he says I haven’t “had a hard day like he did.”

I feel like a stranger or even a monster in my own home and feel like if Im not ever home and dont feel at home I shouldn’t have to clean up after them all and I sometimes feel like chores are an excuse so he can be lazy.

AITA?

She’s busy and making her own money at her job. Maybe she should tell her dad that she doesn’t want to be paid for chores anymore and doesn’t have time to keep up on her chores.

That said, she lives in this home and it’s only right that she does her part to clean up after herself. Maybe she could trade chores with her brother and do laundry instead of dishes or something.

Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story.

She needs to contribute just because she lives there.

It’s true that she’ll have to do a lot more than dishes when she moves out.

Everyone agrees that she needs to contribute since she lives there.

Her only real option is to move out.

Everyone has to do their part to keep a house clean.

If you liked that story, check out this post about an oblivious CEO who tells a web developer to “act his wage”… and it results in 30% of the workforce being laid off.