Doing chores turns out to be a normal tradition in many families as that helps kids learn responsibility, and sharing chores gives you help around the house. Plenty of ways are there that prove productive in getting chores for kids done.
Age-appropriate Chores That You Can Choose For Children
Preschoolers can handle one or two simple jobs. By age, some of the basic chores for kids that can be completed are as follows:
Ages 2 to 3
- Put toys away
- Put clothes in the hamper
- Wipe up spills
- Fill the pet’s food dish
- Pile books
Ages 4 to 5
- Make their bed
- Clear table
- Empty wastebaskets
- Bring in newspaper
- Use hand-held vacuum
- Water flowers
- Wash plastic dishes
Ages 6 to 7
- Sort laundry
- Help pack lunch
- Sweep floors
- Set and clear table
- Keep bedroom tidy
Ages 8 to 9
- Put away groceries
- Help make dinner
- Load dishwasher
- Prepare snacks
- clean table after meals
- Put away your own laundry
- Prepare breakfast
- Peel vegetables
- Cook simple foods
- Mop floor
- Take the pet for a walk
Ages 10 and Older
- Fold laundry
- Unload dishwasher
- Clean bathroom
- Wash windows
- Cook simple meal
- Wash car
- Iron clothes
- Babysit (under the supervision of an adult in the home)
- Clean kitchen
Preschoolers (3 to 5 years old)
Preschoolers are the ones who usually deserve to get rewards and positive reinforcement. Around age 3, incentives work toward encouraging kids to participate in chores. So, the basic thing that they can do is take care of plants and pets.
This is how they can start to understand they have a responsibility to help others. Also, it’s good to allow them to take part in making their beds. Carrying light bags short distances, such as bringing groceries, helps to a huge extent. They can also choose chores like putting away food in the fridge they can reach.
Elementary school kids (6 to 10 years old)
This is the stage of life where the kids can start to take on some bigger tasks and responsibility for themselves. Mealtime help is something that they can be involved in. Let elementary school students help pack their lunch before school, and it’s also good to involve them to help with preparing meals for the family.
Another perfect chore for kids of this age is being allowed to set and clear the table and load and unload the dishwasher. Children at this age can also play active roles in keeping the room organized, keeping the floors clean, and putting their clean clothes in their dressers.
Middle school kids (11 to 14 years old)
By this age, tweens and early teens can go ahead with doing the multi-step housework and can also participate in helping to care for younger children. Tweens and teens can take on chores like shoveling snow and raking leaves, in addition to picking up other seasonal outdoor chores.
Babysitting is yet another chore they can choose to do. Younger children, especially those in their early teens, can consider doing more childcare, like fetching the little one’s milk and playing rounds of hide-and-seek.
High schoolers school kids (15 to 18 years old)
High school is the phase in which your child should start understanding the full responsibilities of adulthood. So they must be able to care for their own home. So it’s good to involve them in practicing adulating, which will turn out to be an important part of developing into a grownup to manage their time. So it’s good to ask them to prepare simple meals and maintain a clean house.
The Right Method To Encourage The Child To Do Chores
Often, you will find that it is tedious to ask your child to pick up chores. You are rarely going to find your child jumping with joy at the thought of washing the dishes. So, to get started with a chore routine, encourage them and set rules. Set the ground rules first.
Start having a family meeting to discuss goals and set up a calendar to address expectations. Discuss everything with the important members of the household and also mention how the child’s contributions matter to the family.
Also, make sure you are including incentives and allowances because the point to note here is that praise and tokens encourage kids to complete their chores and also provide them with a sense of accomplishment. Make sure you give the child fun and age-appropriate rewards. Also, if you have a teenager, go ahead with giving an allowance if that feels right for your family and see whether they understand the value of money.
Final Words
There are many benefits from involving your child in age-appropriate chores as that also opens a way for the child to keep learning time management skills and help develop organizational skills. Accepting responsibility in the family is what makes the child a better person, growing into the future.
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