Chores For Kids By Age
The thing with chores is that no matter how many you do, there are always more! Washing the dishes, laundry, cooking, the list is endless. As a parent, you might often feel that you have to accomplish these yourself, but actually, you have another set of hands available! Ask your kids to help.
Children who help out around the house more end up being more independent, responsible and successful as an adult. By starting them off young, it ensures that they will become more driven as an adult. Believe it or not, your three-year-old can start helping you! Simply by getting them to put their toys away, you are starting to give them responsibility.
Many parents are eager to ensure that their children understand the responsibility and hard work, though it can be tough getting started. The key thing to remember is to make sure the chores you set are age-appropriate and are set at the skill level and development of your child.
Chores For 2-3 Years Olds – Toddlers
Toddlers can be a handful and leave chaos behind them, but if you get them onto chores and you will find this sea of mess starting to retreat. Your toddler is likely at an age where they love to spend time with adults, and feel treated when asked to do ‘grown-up stuff’.
At this age, it is really important that they see chores as play. While they might not be much help, you are setting them up to be more helpful around the house, and develop a habit.
Things you can ask them to do:
- Help you put away books
- Help you pick up their toys
- Help you pick up their dirty clothes
- Help you make their bed
- Help you cleaning spills
Chores For 4-5 Years Old – Preschool and Reception
At this age, children may start to see chores for what they are, however as they still love to spend time with adults, it’s not too hard to get them to help. Now might be a time to give them rewards to motivate them, such as earning screen time, etc.
These are some suitable chores for them:
- Making their bed
- Helping lay the table with help
- Dusting and polishing non-precious objects
- Watering plants
- Sorting the laundry into colours and whites
- Picking up their toys
- Cleaning their bedroom
- Bring school bags in from the car
- Pulling up weeds in the garden supervised
- Matching up socks (sock snap is a fun family game!)
Chores For 6-11 Years old – Primary School
Around this age, chores are less exciting, but around this time children want to be more independent.
When giving them chores, the trick is to challenge them and give them tasks that require minimal supervision. They usually perform better when they feel there is a sense of trust.
Ideal chores for primary school-age children are:
- Doing the dishes
- Cleaning the floor
- Folding the laundry
- Taking out the trash
- Loading and unloading the dishwasher
- Taking care of the pet
- Help prepare a simple meal
- Get themselves dressed
- Putting away their clean laundry
- Help make lunch boxes
- Put away groceries
- Vacuum
- Make their own snacks
Chores For Ages 9-12 Years Old Pre-Teens
Pre-Teens are often stubborn when it comes to chores, but a little incentive can get them hard at work. At this time it is important to make sure they complete their chores, and there should be consequences for poor effort.
Pre-Teens ideal chores could include:
- Washing and drying clothes
- Cleaning the toilet, with supervision
- Cleaning the bathroom
- Hoovering
- Helping to wash the car
- Making snacks and simple meals (i.e sandwiches)
- Keeping their bedroom tidy
- Help to clear the table after meals
- Wash up, or unload the dishwasher
Teenagers
The teenage years are your last chance to make sure your kids understand the responsibility and are ready to leave the nest. By this time, children should be capable of doing most, if not all of the chores around the house.
You can trust your teenagers to:
- Look after younger siblings for a short period of time
- Clean the bathroom
- Clean the kitchen
- Cook meals
- Mow the lawn
- Care for pets
- Iron clothes
- Change light bulbs
These lists are really meant to be seen as a guide, and as their parents, it is down to you to know what chores your kids can do at specific ages. People mature at their own pace, and some children grasp things quicker than their siblings.
When it comes to chores, make sure you are praising them enough. They need to feel valued and appreciated for their efforts. Getting your children involved with chores you are teaching them responsibilities which they need to learn for when they leave home.
While there will be days when chores are met with moans and groans, it is part of your teaching them to be responsible, and they will have a better work ethic because of it.
