Doing Home Chores: Age Appropriate Tasks

Household chores are an important part of life for kids of all ages. They help teach responsibility and can be a great way to bond with family members. But what are the best way of doing home chores for kids at different age levels?

Keep in mind that if you don’t ask your kids for help and do not show them how chores are done, they won’t help you in the future. Young age for kids is best for learning; thus, you need to teach them how to clean up and be responsible.

Have you ever heard your neighbours or family friends telling stories about how their kids never help with housework? You may be the one if you don’t act now.

Here is a guide to some age-appropriate household tasks:

For toddlers:

– Picking up toys and putting them away. This is an easy task and also helps them to know where their things are. The only inconvenience could be that instead of cleaning up the toys, your child starts playing with them. But honestly, it’s better if they play with their own toys than watch animated shows on TV or YouTube.

– Dusting with a cloth or feather duster. This task will make your toddler feel like they are helping you clean, and they will be proud of themselves. At first, you will need them to show how to dust properly. We recommend taking things off the shelves or other surfaces before they clean them. The reason – your toddlers, may accidentally knock something over when dusting. If things break, it will take even longer than expected to clean up.

However, even if the kids require your help when cleaning, it is better to let them clean rather than do their tasks by yourself. You may want, for example, to do the dusting as it is much faster for you than for your kid. But don’t do it! If you do your kid’s tasks, they won’t learn to help you with cleaning. Also, it won’t teach them how to be independent and responsible.

– Putting away clothes. It is another chore your toddler can do. Just help them to put their clothes in the drawers or in the closet. But don’t do it for them as, again, they won’t learn how to be independent.

– Wiping up spills. It is one of the most common accidents in the kitchen. And it is also one of the easiest things for your toddler to do. Just give them a paper towel and show them how to clean up spills.

For preschoolers:

– Making the bed. This is the first step to teaching your child how to be independent. Just help them to make their bed, and they will be able to do it by themselves in no time. Even if it is not perfect in the beginning, they will learn how to make their bed.

– Putting laundry in the hamper. This is another great way to teach your child how to be independent. Just help them to put their laundry in the hamper, and they will be able to do it by themselves in no time.

– Helping to set and clear the table for meals. This is an excellent task for them to learn about counting and numbers. Not to mention, it’s always good to have an extra set of hands when setting the table.

– Watering plants. This is a simple yet effective chore that most kids will enjoy. It is a great way to teach your kids about responsibility and keeping plants alive. Help them to water the plants, and soon they will be able to do it by themselves. And you will have one less chore to do! Also, teach them that it is important to not overwater the plants as it is also bad for them.

– Wiping down surfaces. This is a great way to teach your kids about cleanliness. Show them how to wipe down surfaces with a cloth and some cleaner. Soon they will be able to do it by themselves. You can trust preschoolers more than toddlers to not knock things over shelves. If you are not confident that they will be able to wipe it down without breaking anything, you can ask them to at least do it in their rooms. The only things they can accidentally know over are toys or books which wouldn’t damage them.

– Loading and unloading the dishwasher. This is a great task for them to learn about sequence and order. Plus, it’s always helpful to have someone else to help you. If you are afraid that your kid will smash some plates or cups, you can ask them to only load spoons or forks as they don’t break. But we recommend loading or unloading the dishwasher together with your preschooler.

– Sweeping floors. You can give your kid a short-handled broom, so they don’t hurt their backs. Plus, it will be much easier for them to control. Just be there to help if needed, and soon enough, they will be doing it on their own.

For school-aged kids:

– Vacuuming. Let them do it while you are supervising. It’s a great opportunity to teach them how to use different attachments and move furniture around. They will at least learn how to vacuum their own room, and you will have less housework to do.

– Taking out the trash. This one is perfect for school-aged kids as they can finally reach the trash bin. Just make sure they know what goes in there and what doesn’t. Also, as they are older, the big trash bags with the trash should be too heavy to lift up.

– Mopping the floors. Just like with sweeping, you can get them a short-handled mop. They will probably need some help at first (we are talking about kids who just started going to school), but soon they will be doing it on their own.

– Washing the car. This is a great opportunity to teach kids about water conservation. Show them how to use the hose properly and how much water is needed to wash the car. You can also talk about which parts of the vehicle need to be washed more often than others.

– Doing homework. The most important chore for kids that are going to school! You can help them get organized by setting up a special place for homework, where they will have all the supplies they need. Make sure to praise their efforts, even if the results are not perfect.

– Take a dog for a walk (if you have a dog). This is a perfect way to teach kids responsibility. They will need to remember to put on the leash and pick up after the dog. We believe that your kid loves your family dog, but if they are thinking about owning a dog, they have to know how to take care of one. Playing with the dog or petting it does not teach to be a responsible pet owner. They need to get familiar with the responsibilities of owning a dog before getting one for themselves.

For teenagers:

– Cooking meals. This is a great way for kids to learn about healthy eating and cooking. Let them choose a recipe and help them with the grocery shopping. This is a great way to teach them how to cook and follow directions. It will also help them in their future when they are living on their own.

– Doing the laundry. This is a chore that they will definitely need to know how to do when they move out. Teach them how to sort the clothes and use the washer and dryer. Also, teach them that you should wash dark and light clothes together because it prevents the dark clothes from bleeding onto the lighter ones.

– Vacuuming and sweeping the whole home. These are two tasks that need to be done regularly in order to keep the house clean. Show them how to use the vacuum cleaner and the broom (if they don’t know how to use them). Also, teach them where the different cleaning supplies are so that they can easily find them when they need to use them.

– Cleaning the bathroom. This is a great chore for older kids as they can finally reach everything. Just make sure to go over the safety rules with them first (e.g., don’t use cleaning chemicals without gloves, etc.). You can even set a house rule to clean up the shower or bath every time after they use it (or at least once every week). This way, the shower won’t get so dirty that it’s hard to clean it.

– Yard work. This is a great chore for older kids. They can help to rake leaves, pick up sticks, or even help to plant flowers or vegetables. Just make sure that they understand the safety rules before they start (e.g., don’t use sharp tools without supervision, etc.). You can teach your teenagers how to use a lawnmower to mow the lawn.

– Cleaning windows. Kids of all ages can help to clean windows. You can give them a sponge and some window cleaner and let them go to town. Just make sure that you supervise younger kids so that they don’t get any cleaner on themselves or on the floor.

– Babysitting younger siblings. If you have younger siblings, then you know that they can be a handful. But, babysitting them can actually be a great way for your teenager to learn to be responsible not only for themselves but also for others. Just make sure that they are responsible and that you trust them before you leave them alone with your little ones.

What chores will your kids be doing to help you out?

These are just a few ideas for age-appropriate chores for kids. Of course, you know your child best, and you can tailor them to doing home chores they would enjoy. No matter what age your child is, doing chores can be a great way to teach them essential life skills. So get started today and see the benefits for yourself!

If you want to know more about parenting, check out other blog posts in the parenting category!