Chores teach responsibility, as well as providing your child with essential life skills that will serve them well in adulthood. Tasks around the house for kids should be age appropriate, whether your child is a toddler just learning to pick up her toys or a teen who can clean out the garage and scrub a dirty toilet. Involve the whole family in caring for your home to foster teamwork, cooperation, and a cleaner house.
Toddlers and Pre-Schoolers
Toddlers can start helping out around the house at quite a young age. Even a two- to four-year-old can handle simple errands for mom or dad, like putting laundry in the hamper or helping to carry groceries. Little ones like helping, and will happily clean with a spray bottle of water and a rag or dust with socks on their hands, according to FamilyROI.org. As soon as your toddler can walk with ease, he can learn to put his own toys away into a basket or toy box, but sorting and organizing will come later. Allow your child to clear his own plate and cup from the table, and progress to helping set the table for meals. Child-size brooms and other cleaning tools can help to involve a young child in chores.
School-Age Kids
By the time your child starts school, she can learn to make her bed and care for her room. Children can be taught simple bathroom and kitchen clean-up, and learn to prepare easy foods independently. Increased pet care responsibilities are appropriate for school age children, if they are comfortable with animals. Kids from six to 10 years old can help with younger siblings by entertaining them or watching them when mom and dad are home, according to LotsOfKids.com. Dusting, vacuuming and folding laundry can all be managed well by school-age kids. By eight to 10 years old, kids can learn to handle many yard-related tasks and can be taught to use the washer and dryer. Help your kids to learn how to perform chores.
Tweens and Teens
Once your child reaches ages 11 or 12, they should be able to competently handle most household tasks. Tweens can begin to take over some family meals, if they have learned kitchen skills over the years. They should be able to plan and prepare a full meal by the time they are teenagers, reports FocusOnTheFamily.com. Increased responsibility for younger siblings, including babysitting, is appropriate for older children. Yard work, including mowing the lawn, is appropriate for tweens and teens; however, be sure to provide appropriate safety instruction. These years are ideal to teach car and home maintenance, ranging from simple repairs to deep cleaning tasks.
