Children are never too young to start helping out around the house. Encouraging your children to help out with the daily household chores is a gentle way to introduce the concept of taking responsibility. As well as this, teaching your little ones how to cook, clean, and look after themselves and their home sets them up with the essential life skills they’ll need as an adult.
It’s because of this that I have put together this list of age-appropriate chores for children. The list below isn’t binding; you will know your children and their capabilities better than anyone else, so don’t feel that you must stick rigorously to the chores outlined. This blog post is simply a guide to help parents establish a new routine within their household that teaches children the life skills they need in order to thrive as adults.
Age-appropriate chores for toddlers.
At this age, you can turn almost any task into a game, and that includes simple tidying and cleaning chores. Here are just a few chores that toddlers can get involved in:
- Putting their toys away
- Dusting safe and reachable areas
- Helping to load/unload the washing machine or tumble dryer
- Wiping low surfaces with non-toxic products, such as skirting boards
Age-appropriate chores for preschoolers.
In my experience, preschoolers want to help with as much as possible. At this age, children are so open to new experiences and thrive on the praise received from helping out at home. There are lots of opportunities to get your preschooler involved with the household chores, here are a few tasks that children of this age can help with:
- Making their bed
- Tidying their bedroom
- Helping to lay the table
- Helping to water houseplants/the garden
Age-appropriate chores for 5-9 year olds.
When children start school, they’re encouraged to tidy away after activities and always ensure that the classrooms are neat and tidy before the end of the day. It’s at this age children really start to grasp the concept that chores are an important daily task. Try asking your child to:
- Clear the table after dinner
- Put their clothes away neatly
- Empty the dishwasher/do some washing up
- Vacuum or sweep floors
- Help with dinner, eg. peeling vegetables
Age-appropriate chores for 10-12 year olds
Your child is almost a teenager, how did that happen?! Children in this age bracket might not be so eager to help out around the house, but by giving them daily or weekly tasks as part of their routine, you’ll still help to instill those life skills and the idea that taking responsibility is a vital part of adult life. Try suggesting:
- Learning how to use the washing machine
- Cleaning the kitchen or bathroom
- Sorting through untidy areas and ensuring everything is put away in the right place
- Cook simple meals (with supervision)
Age-appropriate chores for 12+ years
By this age, your children will have learned a whole host of useful skills and contributed to the completion of many household chores. They should be fairly confident in their abilities and be able to carry out most household chores that you require them to help with. Here are a few examples of what children aged 12+ can do to help out around the house:
- Take responsibility for feeding/walking/cleaning pets
- Clean the car inside and out
- Put their belongings away neatly
- Clean mirrors and windows
Ultimately, the choice is yours.
These are simply guidelines to inspire parents to encourage their kids to help out with household chores. If you feel a suggestion is inappropriate for the age range, or you don’t believe your child is confident enough to carry out that task, feel free to ignore it or swap it for a different chore.
