It’s never too early to teach the kids the importance of pulling their weight around the home. You are doing them absolutely no favours by not teaching them the necessary life skills.
The truth is, children thrive when given responsibility and the best place to start is in the home environment. Never underestimate their ability. You may be surprised at what they are capable of.
By giving them the responsibility to complete a set of age-appropriate chores, you will be instilling in them a sense of respect, appreciation and pride, as well as making them capable of holding their own – the most important quality to have.
Toddler/ preschool-er:
- Put toys away
- Feed pets
- Sort laundry
- Dust with feather duster
- Set the table
- Fetch the mail
- Throw rubbish away
Age 5-8:
- Make bed
- Clear dinner table
- Sweep floors
- Tidy their own rooms
- Help clean the yard
- Rake leaves or sweep walkway
Age 9-12:
- Bring in and pack away groceries
- Wash, dry and pack away dishes
- Mop floors
- Clean toilet
- Make simple meals (breakfast and lunches)
- Take garbage out on collection day
- Wash windows
- Vacuum
Age 13-16:
- Make meals
- Weed the garden and mow the lawn
- Clean out fridge and freezer
- Clean the shower and/bath
- Help with grocery shopping
- Oversee the younger children’s chores (at least inspect them)
- Babysit siblings if need be
- Load/unload the dishwasher
- Wash car
Age 17+
- Do own laundry
- Cook full meals and clean up afterwards
- Mow the lawn and other yard work
- Basic car maintenance (clean and oil/water check)
- Keep up their room and personal space
- Organise and manage a budget for themselves
- Balance their chores, school, work schedule and sports
More information on age-appropriate chore timetables can be found here.
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