Children are more than capable of helping out around the house. Their skills range from putting their toys away to assisting with cooking, cleaning, and even gardening. There are many chores for kids by age that they can do depending on their maturity level.
As a parent, it is essential to know how to allocate chores to your children. Chores will not only teach children responsibility and give them a sense of accomplishment, but it can also build their self-confidence and independence.
Let’s check out a list of activities that children should know how to do before living independently.
Take Time to Teach
When children are young, they need to be told the rules and what is expected of them. When they get older, we want to instill good habits and parenting skills.
The best way on how to keep your house clean is to teach your kid how to take care of their stuff. Ensure they know how to pick up after themselves, put away their toys, and keep their bedrooms tidy. If they’re old enough, you can even assign them tasks like taking out the trash or walking the dog. Please encourage them by making it fun and giving them rewards for doing chores.
“Do not handicap your children, by making their lives easy”
Robert A. Heilein
Do it Together Until They Can Do it Alone.
Parents can help them start the task, and then gradually, they can do it all alone when they learn how to do it. You can make a chart and a timetable for each chore.
A chore chart is a helpful tool for children. It aids in developing skills related to responsibility, independence, and learning how to follow instructions. A parent or guardian may help them with the list of tasks, but the child should be responsible for checking off when they are finished with each task.
3-5 Years Old
One of the great things about preschool-aged kids is that they’re still reasonably motivated to help and like spending time with adults.
Teach them new chores one on one, and most kids will love it at this age. They’re often ready to do tasks without constant supervision.
They also want rewards. You can use a sticker chart to encourage them for anything from eating to finishing their homework. It’s also a good way of helping them become more independent by letting them choose what they want as a reward when they’ve accomplished an important task well.
- Help to clean up their rooms
- Assist in doing the dishes
- Help to sweep the floors
- Empty trash cans
- Feed animals
- Help in the garden
- Clean up toys
- Put clothes in the hamper
- Set the table for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- Answer the phone with parental assistance
6-8 Years Old
Kids may not enjoy chores as much as adults, but they have other redeeming qualities that can come in handy. They’re good at making precise movements and focusing on tedious tasks.
A lot of school-aged children feel the need to be independent.
Parents and caregivers can help children become more responsible by teaching them how to use a chore chart. These charts record completed tasks, so the child will know they are “moving up in the world.” This will motivate them to keep working.
- Help to vacuum
- Clean up after pets
- Make beds in the morning
- Wash the dishes
- Fold up clothes
- Clean up after themselves
- Help to prepare food
- Clean the kitchen
- Sweep the floor
- Take out the garbage
- Water plants
- Empty dishwasher
- Fold laundry
9-12 Years Old
Children at this age are susceptible to disruptions, so parents need to be mindful of the schedule. If your children are faced with many unexpected disorders outside of their daily lives, they can quickly become frustrated.
If you can train your kids to help you make a schedule for the week, it will allow them to participate and learn about cleaning. It might be a good idea to find a system that repeats like every Friday or something similar.
Try not to make significant changes to this system without getting input from the people it affects. Part of this system should include rewards and punishments so that the results are clear in advance.
- Organize and put clothes in the washing machine
- Vacuum and mop the floors
- Clean the bathrooms
- Clean the family car
- Put the clothes to dry
- Washing the dishes
- Taking out the trash
- Bathing the animals
- Water the plants
13-15 Years Old
Most teenagers can handle nearly any chore in the home but will need to be taught how.
One thing that needs to be taken into account is the crammed schedule of teenagers. Similar to adults, teens might find themselves under duress when they are faced with an excessive workload.
Make sure you know your teen’s schedule and have a plan for what to do when they arrive home from school so that their time is well spent. For instance, if they have homework to complete, be ready with dinner or a snack to get delayed.
- Clean the sink and counters
- Change bedsheet
- Empty the dishwasher
- Put dishes away in cupboards
- Put things away in the fridge
- Organize room
- Sort through and throw out any expired food
- Arrange clothes in the appropriate drawers and closets
16-18 Years Old
The time has come to teach your child, as they will be independent adults before you know it. It would be best to start by teaching them how to complete everyday tasks around the house, which they are already familiar with.
Some children keep living with their parents when they’re 18, and they’re not the only ones. More young people are staying in their parent’s house when they go to college or save up for a home in recent years thanks to the rising costs of living and becoming close.
If you’re considering staying at home longer, kids may still want and be able to help out around the house past age 18.
- Mow the lawn
- Babysitting
- Dust the furniture
- Change light bulbs
- Prepare a grocery list
- Clean windows of the house
- Load and run the dishwasher and the washing machine
- Vacuum, clean, wash dishes
- Do assign housework without prompting
- Deep cleaning of household appliances, such as defrosting the freezer, as needed
Conclusions:
Parents might underestimate what kids are capable of. Children can do more than it seems like on the surface.
Remember that children grow up at their own pace, and not all of them will do the same chores at the same age. Likewise, some children may be capable of doing more complex tasks than others.
Even the youngest family members can do chores when they’re only three years old. And by the time your child turns 18, they’ll be able to do any task in the house.
You are the best person to supervise and evaluate your child’s needs and abilities. You can move them on to new, more difficult household tasks once they have learned the basics.
Kids get used to doing specific chores over and over, which may hold them back in the long run. Introducing new chores at regular intervals can help them grow more versatile. There’s no harm in instituting a short-term “training period” when teaching a new task before graduating to the next level.
You might be worried that children should be spending time doing other things, but there are many benefits to giving them chores. When they help around the house, they also make life easier for the parents.
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