Shouldn’t parents be in charge of the household while the kids go to school and play? Chores for kids are more than just asking them to do the dishes or help you with the laundry. Teaching them early at the right time can be the ticket to shaping your little ones into happier, independent grown-ups in the future.

What Is the Value of Chores for Kids?

The purpose of identifying chores for kids is not to lessen parents’ workload at home. Here are some essential life skills your children can learn by helping out around the house:

  • Household chores for children make them feel capable and responsible.
  • Doing chores teaches our kids the importance of communication and working together.
  • Chores for older kids can train them how to prioritise, multitask and budget their time.
  • Our children experience happiness after completing a task and realise the value of hard work.
  • Sharing housework with your kids means more time to bond and less family stress.
  • Training our kids with chores makes their transition to adulthood more natural.

How Can I Get my Kids to Help Out?

Encouragement plays an essential role when training our kids to do chores. One way to do this is to do the task together until your child is ready to do it by himself. It’s also an excellent idea to have a mini to-do list or to turn housework into a game, especially if you have more than one child at home. That way, the kids are all pumped up and ready to accomplish the tasks for the day. Also, cap every task with praises or small rewards to appreciate a job well done.

What Age-Appropriate Chores can My Kids Do?

It’s also essential to match the household chore with your kids’ ages. Chores for kids that are too easy or difficult may leave them discouraged or frustrated. Assigning age-appropriate household chores to your kids also ensures their safety. Here are some duties you can teach your little ones to learn new skills and help you out at the same time.

2 to 3 years

  • Return playthings back into the toy box
  • Put clothes in the laundry basket
  • Dust furniture, wipe spills and clean up dirt

Kids at 2 to 3 years love following their parents around and mimicking the things that they do. Use this habit as an opportunity to start teaching them simple chores that develop their motor skills. Play his favourite music as you wipe things together. You can also start a fun game of “follow the leader” or “Simon says” as you put toys away.

4 to 5 years

  • Get ready for bed
  • Make their bed
  • Sort the laundry by colour
  • Set and clear the table

As your kids grow older, the chores become more complex, so make sure to be there at all times to cheer them on. Start teaching them essential self-care routines, including putting on bedclothes, washing their hands and brushing their teeth. They can also start helping out during mealtimes by placing napkins, putting silverware on the table or fixing their bowl of cereal.

6 to 7 years

  • Fold and put laundry back into the closet
  • Help prepare food and pack lunch
  • Put away dishes from the dishwasher
  • Weed the garden or water the plants

Our little ones are more independent at this age. They can now do some tasks, like making their bed or cleaning their room, without supervision. They can also help out in the kitchen or garden, but make sure that you’re always there to assist.

8 to 11 years

  • Put away groceries
  • Cook simple meals like toast
  • Wash the dishes
  • Take care of pets

Here, your kids will need to do a few steps to complete certain household chores. So, it’s best to walk them through it first before letting your kids do it. Make sure to praise their attempt to help out, encourage them to keep practising and not aim for perfection.

12 years and up

  • Clean the house or garden as needed
  • Make grocery list
  • Prepare family meals
  • Take care of younger siblings

As your kids become young adults, assign chores that encourage them to plan, budget money and make small decisions. These chores will gear them up for the real world and make them (and parents!) feel at ease after high school.

Of course, our children develop skills at specific phases and may progress differently than other kids. Rather than worry, let us guide our kids every step of the way and celebrate every achievement. By starting them out young, they’ll have more time to learn any chore and tackle life’s many other challenges with confidence!