With all these able bodies laying around the house these days, just going around and messing things up, now seems like the *perfect* time to start laying down the law about chores. Ammiright?
It’s super important for kids, even young ones, to understand that each member of the family needs to pull their own household weight because I can’t deal with another story of a 28 year old calling mom to ask what all those buttons mean on the washing machine.
Sometimes as parents, we’d easily forgo a child doing chores because they won’t/can’t complete to the level or our expectation, but we’re only shooting ourselves (and them) in the foot for later in life. Kids of all ages can do chores! Check out our ideas below for getting your kids to pitch in around the homestead. And if you have to fork up $5 at the end of the week, so be it.
Now I just need to figure out who’s paying my allowance for clean sheets on the bed and grocery shopping…
Preschooler (ages 3–5)
- Keeping room neat
- Pick up/ put away toys
- Unload the dishwasher (silverware, plastic cups, tupperware)
- Put clothes in the dirty clothes hamper
- Collect dirty clothes
- Help move clothes from washer to dryer
- Feed pets
- Water indoor plants
- Make bed in the morning
- Personal note: My list includes brushing teeth, getting dressed, and putting on shoes because it’s preferable to reward them for these tasks than yelling 10 times each morning about it.
Early Elementary (ages 5–8)
All previous chores plus:
- Keeping room neat
- Load the dishwasher
- Vacuum couch/ chairs/ cushions
- Take out recycling
- Set/clear table
- Clean windows/dust furniture
- Fold dish towels
- Fold/hang laundry
- Put away groceries
- Meal prep (wash produce, find ingredients, simple cutting)
- Sweep
- Vacuum
- Get mail
- Weed
- Wash car
Elementary (ages 9–11)
All previous chores plus:
- Keeping room neat and clean (vacuum, dust)
- Wipe bathroom sinks, counters, toilets
- Wash/dry clothes
- Clean toilets and bathroom countertops
- Mop floors
- Take garbage/recycling to the curb
- Yard work (spring/fall clean-up)
Middle School (ages 12–14)
All previous chores plus:
- Keeping room neat and clean (vacuum, dust)
- Clean tub/ shower
- Assist in meal preparation
- Clean out fridge/freezer
- Mow yard
- Helping out with younger kids (diapering, feeding, putting to bed)
There are TONS of chore charts you can download for free on the internet to keep track of completed activities. Good luck and enjoy your sparkly toilet!
The chore chart is now an app! Check out The You Rule app where kids can compete with each other on a weekly basis. Power ups and other fun features make doing chores a game for kids. Parents decide what chores are assigned to each kid and what the prizes will be ( screen time, $, winner of the week gets to pick a movie rental, etc.). It has kicked started getting the kids to do things on their own without nagging. Once I have to ask them more than twice, they can’t earn their point for that chore that day. It has done wonders in our house.