While some parents choose to wait until their kids are older to get them involved with household chores, others prefer to start them young. Whatever your preference, here are some ideas for appropriate chores that your kids can help you with, whatever their age:
Chores for toddlers
All toddlers are different, of course, but most should be able to handle the following chores with relative ease:
- Making the bed together
- Putting toys and other items away after playing with them
- Gathering up dirty clothes and placing them in the laundry hamper
- Feeding pets together
- Helping clear up spillages or mess
While these chores must be supervised (and may not actually help you all that much!), having them assist you will instil in them some basic skills and values, and they will likely enjoy being made to feel useful, especially if they are duly rewarded!
Chores for pre-schoolers
Pre-schoolers are usually able to handle a little more responsibility than toddlers, and can help you with the following chores:
- Setting and clearing the table
- Helping to load the dishwasher
- Keeping their room and play areas tidy
- Mopping and sweeping together
- Folding laundry together
It still pays to have most of these chores be supervised, but as they get older, you should be able to leave them to fulfil them unattended and without help.
Chores for six to eight year olds
As you will see, the chores are becoming a little more complex as your kids get older, and they’re almost at the stage where they are actually helping you!
- Taking out the trash and separating recycling
- Folding and putting laundry away
- Helping younger siblings with their chores
- Feeding pets unaided
- Vacuuming, sweeping and mopping the floors
- Dusting
Each child will be different, and the level of supervision or assistance you need to provide them with at this age, will vary.
Chores for preteens
Your kids may not want to help you so much the older they get, but hopefully you can rely on your preteens to fulfil the following:
- Bringing the groceries in and putting them away
- Helping to wash the car
- Loading and unloading the dishwasher
- Yard work such as raking leaves and picking up debris
- Cleaning windows
Chores for teenagers
This is probably the worst age for engaging kids in cleaning, but if they’ve been doing it from an early age, you may find they put up slightly less resistance than if you’re just introducing them to it now:
- Cleaning the bathrooms
- Doing the laundry
- Cleaning the refrigerator, oven and other kitchen appliances
- Helping with the grocery shopping
- Other routine maintenance and cleaning
Kids of all ages benefit from taking responsibility for household chores, and research shows that those children who do, typically have higher self-esteem, are more responsible, and are better able to deal with frustration.
However, even if your kids are great at helping you around the home, you may still require some professional help – if only to help rectify some of the mess that your younger kids made while trying to help you! Professional cleaning services can help out as and when you need them, and can get your home clean and in good order ready for the weekend, for example.
