Performing household chores gives children confidence, competence and a sense of responsibility. Children as young as 3- or 4-years-old can, and should, be included when assigning household chores, according to Marty Rossman, associate professor at the University of Minnesota. Her research, drawn from an earlier study of parenting styles, shows that involvement in household chores at a young age is the best predictor of successful and well-adjusted adulthood.
Other contributing factors include making sure the chores assigned are not too overwhelming for age and letting the children have a say in which tasks they complete. Make a family chore schedule to get your kids off to a good start.
Step 1
List all the jobs that need to be done to make the household run smoothly. Include dishes, laundry, yard work, dusting, sweeping, vacuuming, trash detail, feeding the pets, keeping bedrooms clean and any other chores that need accomplishing. Break down more complicated tasks into smaller tasks. For example, doing dishes can be made into two chores: loading the dishwasher and putting away clean dishes.
Step 2
Get input from the family and assign age-appropriate jobs. For example, if your daughter hates vacuuming but your son doesn’t mind it, assign the job accordingly. If there is a job nobody likes, put it on a rotating schedule. Give younger children the easier jobs or jobs that can be done with someone else. With a small broom and dustpan or a dusting cloth, your 3- or 4-year-old can “help Mommy sweep” or “help Daddy dust.”
Avoid doing the job yourself because you can do it better or faster, cautions Nancy Bradford-Sisson of the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension. Many children will stop trying to help if they get the message that their efforts aren’t good enough.
Step 3
Decide when the chores need to be done. Some chores need to be done daily while others can be accomplished on a weekly basis. Do you want daily chores done by a certain time of day? Do you want all the weekly chores done on a specific day, such as on Saturday mornings, for instance? You may have to work around activity schedules of older children. Be flexible and try not to make doing the chores a chore.
Step 4
Make a fun chore chart and post it where everyone can see it. Download a free template, use a calendar with no dates and big spaces or make your own chore chart on poster board or a dry-erase board.
Write the chores across the top, or use pictures for non-readers, and each family member’s name down the side in a chart format, or simply list the pertinent chores under each name. Use colorful stickers or markers to decorate the chart and to indicate which chore is done by which person. Use the stickers as a reward for a job well done, and let children place them on the chart when the chore is completed.
Tips and Warnings
- Draw straws or play a game to see who gets the first pick of chores, suggests the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Family Guide. However you go about dividing up the work, try to make it a fun family time.
Things You'll Need
- Pen
- Paper
- Calendar, poster board, or dry-erase board
- Markers
- Stickers
References
- University of Minnesota: Research Works: Involving Children in Household Tasks: Is It Worth the Effort?
- University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension: Children and Chores
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: Teaching Kids a Sense of Responsibility
- Parenthood.com: The Value of Chores for Children
