I think that everyone in the house should do chores or help to maintain the household.  We have tried all kinds of systems over the last 20+ years.  Our oldest is 24 and I am not sure exactly when he started helping out around the house, but do remember that our first formal chore chart with allowance tied to completion and behavior was at 5 years old.  We gave him a quarter for each activity he completed up to $5 per week ($1 per year of age), but we also withheld a quarter if he misbehaved.  I made a chore chart with simple tasks such as brushing his teeth, helping…