We're all cleaning now more than ever before. With everyone spending extra time at home and wanting to keep their families healthy, cleaning has become a daily chore for most. So why not get your kids involved? Getting your kids involved in chores is important, not only so you can get an extra bit of help around the house, but chores teaches kids how to execute responsibilities and how to uphold a role within the household. According to a Harvard Grant Study, people who did more housework in childhood were happier later in life. Chores also encourage children to exercise mature judgment, behave less impulsively, and be more aware of other's perspectives and needs. All things that will turn them into successful and well-rounded adults, who also know how to read laundry symbols and use a dishwasher.
So where do we start? It all depends on the age of your kid and the difficulty of the chores. To help you out, we've prepared a guide of kid-friendly chores organized by age so they can start cleaning in no time!
Ages 2 - 3
- Helping out with making their beds.
- Taking dirty laundry to the laundry room.
- Picking up toys with supervision.
- Cleaning up spills and messes.
Ages 4 - 5
- Getting dressed on their own.
- Sorting colors for the laundry.
- Setting and clearing the table with supervision.
- Filling up the pet's water and food bowls.
Ages 6 - 7
- Making their bed every day.
- Walking the dog.
- Vacuuming the house.
- Putting away dishes from the dishwasher.
- Folding and putting away laundry.
- Emptying trash cans.
Ages 8 - 11
- Taking care of personal hygiene.
- Being responsible for homework.
- Hand washing dishes.
- Learning how to use the washer and dryer.
- Preparing easy meals.
- Washing bathrooms with supervision.
Tweens/Teenagers
- Babysitting younger siblings.
- Helping out with grocery shopping.
- Doing all steps of laundry.
- Mowing lawns with supervision.
- Dusting, vacuuming, and cleaning house without supervision.
Sources:
https://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/age-appropriate-chores/
https://centerforparentingeducation.org/library-of-articles/responsibility-and-chores/part-i-benefits-of-chores/